(Arabic for "organization") The militant wing of
Fatah. Founded in 1995 by
Yasser Arafat as a way of securing support from more militant elements of the
Palestinian population. Its leadership structure is independent of Fatah, with
Marwan Barghouti as its head. Tanzim's strategies include bombings and shootings, usually high profile, to pressure
Israel into negotiations for a future Palestinian state. Most active during the
Second Intifada against
Israeli troops, the group calls for an independent Palestinian state but does not call for the destruction of the State of Israel. See "
Fatah Tanzim," Global Security.org, November 9, 2007.