The First Intifada, which erupted in December 1987, was a transformative period of civil unrest and political mobilization in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In an era before the internet, social media, or mobile phones, the primary challenge for the uprising's leadership was communicating with a dispersed and often isolated population. To bridge this gap, the clandestine leadership developed a sophisticated system of underground leaflets, known in Arabic as Manashir. These papers became the indispensable central nervous system of the revolt, allowing leaders to transmit orders and maintain momentum across hundreds of villages and refugee camps.
Historical Background of the Clandestine Press
The emergence of the Unified National Leadership of the Uprising (UNLU) in early 1988 marked the transition from spontaneous rioting to a structured political campaign. This shadow organization, composed of representatives from Fatah, the PFLP, the DFLP, and the Palestinian Communist Party, relied entirely on the Manashir to communicate. The first official leaflet, known as Communiqué No. 1, was issued in January 1988 and immediately established the UNLU's authority. By distributing these papers under the cover of night, the leadership avoided the direct surveillance of Israeli security forces while reaching the heart of every Palestinian household.
The physical production of these leaflets was a high-risk operation that required absolute secrecy and decentralized logistics. Local printing presses, often hidden in basements or private homes, were used to produce thousands of copies on thin, easily concealed paper. Activists known as the "shabab" were tasked with the dangerous job of distributing the leaflets before dawn, slipping them under doors or leaving them in mosques. This clandestine network demonstrated a high degree of organizational discipline, as any leak to Israeli intelligence could result in the immediate arrest of the leadership and the seizure of expensive equipment.
The Israeli Civil Administration and the Israel Defense Forces recognized the leaflets as a primary threat to regional stability and administrative control. In response, the military frequently conducted raids to locate secret printing facilities and arrested individuals found in possession of the illegal documents. Despite these counter-measures, the UNLU proved resilient, often shifting locations and utilizing manual stencil duplicators when modern presses were confiscated. This constant game of cat-and-mouse underscored the importance of the written word as a weapon of resistance and a tool for psychological warfare.
Key Operational Facts
- The UNLU issued over 100 numbered communiqués (Bayanat) between 1988 and 1993, each serving as a directive for the upcoming weeks.
- Leaflets dictated a rigorous schedule of "strike days," which forced the closure of all schools, shops, and public transportation to demonstrate collective defiance.
- The Manashir provided instructions for the creation of "Popular Committees" to handle health, education, and security matters outside of Israeli jurisdiction.
- Hamas, which operated independently from the PLO-aligned UNLU, published its own series of leaflets that often featured more religious and militant rhetoric.
- Instructions included calls for tax strikes, the boycott of Israeli-made goods, and the promotion of agricultural self-sufficiency in local communities.
Analysis of Social and Political Control
The Manashir functioned as more than just a means of communication; they were the primary vehicle for establishing a "dual-power" system in the territories. By dictating the opening and closing hours of markets and the behavior of the general public, the UNLU effectively challenged the legitimacy of the Israeli administration. This created a situation where the Palestinian population followed the directives of the leaflets rather than official government decrees. This psychological shift was a cornerstone of the Intifada's strategy to make the territories "ungovernable" through civil disobedience, as detailed in the Jewish Virtual Library history of the First Intifada.
Furthermore, the leaflets served as a mechanism for internal social policing and the enforcement of national unity. They often contained warnings against "collaborators" and detailed the consequences for those who broke the national strikes or cooperated with Israeli authorities. This enforcement was critical for maintaining the facade of a total, unified uprising, even as the economic toll on Palestinian families grew heavier over the years. The leaflets also provided a sense of shared identity and purpose, transforming individual acts of protest into a collective national movement with clear, albeit evolving, political goals.
The competition between the UNLU and Hamas through their respective leaflets also revealed deep ideological rifts within the movement. While the UNLU leaflets often focused on national liberation and eventual statehood through diplomatic pressure, the Hamas leaflets emphasized the Islamic nature of the struggle and total resistance. This battle for the "hearts and minds" of the population played out on the street corners and in the mosques where these documents were posted. You can find more regarding the evolution of these factions and their media strategies through the Britannica overview of the PLO and related organizations.
Significance and Long-term Legacy
The era of the underground leaflets defined the grassroots nature of the First Intifada and set the stage for future Palestinian political structures. The organizational capacity developed during this time eventually transitioned into the administrative functions of the Palestinian Authority following the Oslo Accords. However, the decentralized and clandestine nature of the Manashir distribution remained a unique characteristic of this specific historical period. It proved that a motivated population could maintain a sophisticated communication network without access to modern technology or mass media outlets.
Ultimately, the Manashir were successful because they moved beyond mere reporting to active governance and strategic command. They allowed a secret leadership to direct the daily lives of millions, ensuring that the uprising remained a constant factor in international politics for over five years. For Israel, the leaflets represented a complex security challenge that required a shift from purely military tactics to a broader understanding of political and psychological influence. The legacy of these underground papers continues to be studied as a landmark case in the history of asymmetric conflict and civil mobilization.