INTIFADA

noun Also written intifadah (Politics) An Arab uprising; more specifically, the uprising and unrest led by Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied area of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, beginning in late 1987. Etymology: A direct borrowing from Arabic intifada, which literally means 'shake' or 'shudder': the metaphor is that of shaking off the yoke of an oppressor, a concept with a long tradition in Islam. History and Usage: The word intifada had been in use among Islamic groups (in the Lebanon, for example) before the Palestinian uprising of December 1987, but rarely appeared in English-language reports of events. After the beginning of the West Bank intifada, though, the word began to appear frequently and soon came to be used without a translation in some newspapers. The Palestinians have succeeded for the first time in bringing the intifada in the occupied territories within Israel's pre-1967 boundaries. Independent 14 June 1988, p. 12 Since the beginning of the so-called 'intifada', Israel has spared no effort to control and appease that uprising, with as little loss of life and injury as possible. Harper's Magazine Sept. 1989, p. 71 The intifada in Gaza and the West Bank is in its third year. Now that we have started, we can go on for three years as well if we have to. The Times 22 May 1990, p. 9