CORRECTIVE MOVEMENT

Movement within al-Fatah to create a new leadership for it and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) that would be more favorable to Jordan and Jordanian influence in the West Bank. It was launched in 1986 by Colonel ʿAtallah ʿAtallah, former head of al-Fatah's military intelligence in Lebanon, and was sponsored by King Hussein. ʿAtallah had resigned from al-Fatah in 1985 after being removed from its central committee because of his performance in Lebanon after the Israeli invasion of 1982 and the PLO's subsequent withdrawal. In February 1986 King Hussein, unhappy with the PLO leadership, suspended Jordan's cooperation with the PLO in its approach to Israel, which it had formally agreed to the previous year. In March he altered the composition of the Jordanian parliament, increasing the number of West Bank seats. When al-Fatah objected to this as compromising its status as the sole representative of the Palestinians, Hussein closed its offices in Jordan and deported a number of its officials. In April, he induced ʿAtallah to launch his internal rebellion. In 1986 and 1987, based in Amman and disposing of official support from Saudi as well as Jordanian authorities, the corrective movement attempted to unite al-Fatah dissidents into a group that could compete with Yasir Arafat's supporters. ʿAtallah had his supporters elect him "caretaker" chairman of the PLO in Jordan, which allowed Hussein to give him control of PLO assets. He then attempted to help Hussein increase his influence on the West Bank, acting as a go-between with local leaders. Ultimately he had little support or credibility among Palestinians and was abandoned by his Jordanian patron.

SEE ALSO Arafat, Yasir;Fatah, al-;Hussein ibn Talal;Palestine Liberation Organization;West Bank.