THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE MOVEMENT, REPRESENTED PRINCIPALLY BY FATH AND THE POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (PFLP), EVINCES A REALISTIC PARTNERSHIP OF THEORY AND ACTION IN ITS GOAL OF ESTABLISHING A SECULAR, DEMOCRATIC, MULTIRELIGIOUS SOCIETY IN PALESTINE. THE PALESTINIANS SEE VIOLENT STRUGGLE AS THEIR FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIC PRINCIPLE, AND THEIR MOVEMENT CAN BE USED TO TEST THE VALIDITY OF THEORIES ON VIOLENCE PROPOSED BY HANNAH ARENDT, FANON, AND MARX AND A MODEL OF THE UNITED STATES CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT DEVELOPED BY ARTHUR WASKOW. FATH HAS DISAGREED WITH THE PFLP CONCEPT OF THE ENEMY AS ANY GROUP THAT BEFRIENDS ISRAEL AND HAS CONCENTRATED ITS ACTIVITIES ON THE OCCUPIED TERRORTIES. FATH MAINTAINS THAT ITS PRIMARY GOAL IS THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE FROM ISRAEL USING ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES OF ARAB SOCIETY AND AS SUCH HAS NOT BEEN CONCERNED WITH PLANNING THE STRUCTURE OF A POST-LIBERATION SOCIETY. THE PFLP CONTENDS THAT TRUE LIBERATION CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WHEN THE MASSES ARE POLITICALLY EDUCATED AND ARAB SOCIETY AS A WHOLE IS LIBERATED. IN VIEW OF THESE AVOWED PRINCIPLES, IT IS PROPER TO ASK IF A TRULY HUMANIST SOCIETY CAN BE CREATED IN PALESTINE. ZIONIST COLONIAL POLICIES IN PALESTINE, WHICH DISCRIMINATED AGAINST THE ARABS AND DEPRIVED THEM OF MANY PRIVILEGES, SHOULD SERVE AS A WARNING TO PALESTINIAN REVOLUTIONARIES, SINCE A GENUINELY LIBERATED SOCIETY ULTIMATELY JUSTIFIES THE USE OF VIOLENCE. THEORIES OF VIOLENCE AND POLITICAL POWER AND CHANGE ARE DESCRIBED WITH EMPHASIS ON FRANTZ FANON'S VIEW OF VIOLENCE AS THE OPPRESSED'S SOLE MEANS OF LIBERATION; THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND RESISTANCE OPERATIONS OF FATH AND THE PFLP ARE DISCUSSED. (MJM)