Definition

1. Noun:
   • A sustained Palestinian uprising or rebellion against Israeli occupation: Specifically refers to two major periods of widespread protest, civil disobedience, and confrontation that began in the late 1980s and again in 2000.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The intifadah was characterized by general strikes, boycotts, and stone-throwing clashes.
  • Many analysts mark the beginning of the first intifadah in December 1987.
  • The second intifadah was notably more violent than the first.

Advanced Usage

• "The First Intifada": Refers to the uprising that lasted from 1987 until approximately 1993.
  • The First Intifada was a largely grassroots movement.
• "The Second Intifada" (also called the Al-Aqsa Intifada): Refers to the period of intensified violence that began in September 2000.
  • The Second Intifada involved a high number of suicide bombings.

Variants and Related Words

• Intifada: An alternative, commonly used spelling for the same term.
  • The word intifada is an Arabic term meaning "shaking off" or "uprising".

Synonyms

• Uprising: A general term for an act of resistance or rebellion against authority.
• Revolt: An attempt to overthrow authority.
• Insurrection: A violent uprising against an authority or government.

Notes on Meaning

• The term intifadah is intrinsically linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Its use almost exclusively refers to the Palestinian uprisings against Israeli control.
• It implies a broad-based, popular resistance movement rather than a military campaign conducted solely by organized militant groups.

Noun

1. an uprising by Palestinian Arabs (in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank) against Israel in the late 1980s and again in 2000
   • the first intifada ended when Israel granted limited autonomy to the Palestine National Authority in 1993