ABSTRACT
The relevant historical background of the intifada encompasses events dating back some 50 years before its eruption in December 1987. The Arab Revolt and the intifada were both nourished by rumors that spread through the Arab sector about alleged atrocities that in fact never occurred. Both the Revolt and the intifada were directed against the authorities, the security forces and Jewish civilians. The Revolt took place primarily in the rural rather than the urban sector, and fellahin were its main perpetrators, whereas the intifada encompasses both sectors. During the intifada the Palestinians have been presented as the underdogs by the international media, thus generating a negative image for Israel. In the Territories 550 Palestinians were killed in the first year and a half of the intifada. The Revolt and the Algerian struggle were conducted primarily with firearms, while the use of firearms as an integral part of the intifada has been rare.
