In December 1987, the Palestinians of the occupied territories began the intifada. A minor traffic accident in the Gaza Strip provided the spark, and two decades of occupation, economic stagnation, and progressing Israeli settlement activity erupted in a deluge of stones and Molotov cocktails. A new generation of Palestinians-those who have known nothing but the reality of Israeli occupation- abruptly upstaged their elders with a widespread resistance movement. While mention of the intifada may conjure up images of masked, stone-throwing Palestinians, non-violent resistance has been prevalent as well. The nonpayment of taxes, general strikes, and resignations from government service constitute much of the latter movement, and Palestinians have formed a loose network of underground “popular committees” to coordinate their efforts for maximum effect.

The intifada has led to several major changes in the nature of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The popular nature of the uprising managed to draw far more international attention and sympathy than decades of PLO tactics; the Palestinian problem became the focal point of the Arab-Israeli dispute. American Jewish groups and Israeli liberals have expressed dismay at the sometimes brutal tactics of the Israeli army. However, after several years of continued struggle, many Palestinians became frustrated with a diplomatic chess game that had offered few tangible benefits. Pal-estinian-on-Palestinian violence between members of different and often competing underground movements became widespread. At the break of the Gulf War in winter 1991, Palestinian cheering for Saddam Hussein’s missile attacks on Israel temporarily squandered some support for Palestinian humanitarian claims; more seriously, an enraged Saudi Arabia suspended its vital financial support for Palestinians.