People's Republic of Tyre

The People's Republic of Tyre (Arabic: جمهورية صور الشعبية, Jumhūriyyat Ṣūr al-Ša'biyya) was a short-lived, PLO controlled administration during the Lebanese Civil War. It was formed in early 1976 after the full takeover of the city of Tyre in the south of Lebanon by the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Lebanese Arab Army.

Background

In February 1975, Tyre saw pro-PLO and anti-government demonstrations after Arab Nationalist MP and PNO leader, Maarouf Saad, had been killed in Sidon, allegedly by the army.^[1] Then, in early March 1975, a PLO commando of eight militants sailed from the coast of Tyre to Tel Aviv to mount the Savoy Hotel attack, during which eight civilian Hostages and three Israeli soldiers were killed as well as seven of the attackers.^[2] Five months later - on 5 August 1975 - Israel attacked Tyre "from land, sea and air". More assaults followed on 16 and 29 August, as well as on 3 September.^[3]

PLO and LAA takeover of Tyre

In 1976, local commanders of the PLO took over the municipal government of Tyre with support from their allies of the Lebanese Arab Army (LAA).^[4] They occupied the army barracks, set up roadblocks and started collecting customs at the port.^[5] Parts of Kazem al-Khalil's estate were confiscated as well.^[6] Most of the funding, according to Robert Fisk, came from Iraq though, while arms and ammunition were provided by Libya.^[7]

The new rulers thus declared the founding of the "People's Republic of Tyre".^[8] However, they quickly lost support from the local population^{[9][better source needed]} because of their "arbitrary and often brutal behavior".^{[10][better source needed]} Even Tyre's veteran politician Jafar Sharafeddin^[9] was quoted criticising the PLO for "its violations and sabotage of the Palestinian cause".^[11]

References

1. El Khazen, Farid (1999). The Breakdown of the State in Lebanon, 1967–1976. London / New York: I.B. Tauris. pp. 198, 268.269. ISBN 978-1860643200.
2. Nisan, Mordechai (2015). Politics and War in Lebanon: Unraveling the Enigma. New Brunswick / London: Transaction Publishers. p. 55. ISBN 978-1412856676.
3. Odeh, B.J. (1985). Lebanon: Dynamics of Conflict – A Modern Political History. London: Zed Books. pp. 45, 141–142, 144. ISBN 978-0862322120.
4. Goria, Wade R. (1985). Sovereignty and Leadership in Lebanon, 1943–76. London: Ithaca Press. pp. 90, 179, 222. ISBN 978-0863720314.
5. Schiff, Ze'ev; Ya'ari, Ehud (1985). Israel's Lebanon War. New York: Simon and Schuster. pp. 79–80, 139. ISBN 978-0671602161.
6. Shanahan, Rodger (2005). The Shi'a of Lebanon – The Shi'a of Lebanon Clans, Parties and Clerics (PDF). LONDON • NEW YORK: TAURIS ACADEMIC STUDIES. pp. 16, 41–42, 46–48, 80–81, 104. ISBN 9781850437666.
7. Fisk, Robert (2001). Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 36–39, 115–118, 126–127, 131–135, 211, 255, 458–461, 550–551, 580–581, 608, 617. ISBN 978-0-19-280130-2.
8. Fisk, Robert (2001). Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 36–39, 115–118, 126–127, 131–135, 211, 255, 458–461, 550–551, 580–581, 608, 617. ISBN 978-0-19-280130-2.
9. Who's Who in Lebanon 2007–2008. Beirut / Munich: Publitec Publications & De Gruyter Saur. 2007. pp. 49, 84, 88, 196, 391–392, 398–399, 416–417. ISBN 978-3-598-07734-0.
10. Schiff, Ze'ev; Ya'ari, Ehud (1985). Israel's Lebanon War. New York: Simon and Schuster. pp. 79–80, 139. ISBN 978-0671602161.
11. Abisaab, Rula Jurdi; Abisaab, Malek (2017). The Shi'ites of Lebanon: Modernism, Communism, and Hizbullah's Islamists. New York: Syracuse University Press. pp. 9–11, 16–17, 24, 107. ISBN 9780815635093.