Subaltern globalization: publics and fighters in the Palestinian liberation struggle of the long 1960s

Liberation struggles have often been treated as local or regional phenomena, yet they were also decisive drivers of global interconnection. This article argues that such struggles have been a distinct driving force behind the globalization of society. The period of the 1960s-1970s, marked by heightened global interconnections, offers a revealing window into subaltern processes of globalization. To substantiate this claim, I identify two key mechanisms. The first is the communicative mobilization of local, regional, and global public opinion. The second is the recruitment of guerrilla fighters, whereby publics are prompted to intervene as actors in the capacity of guerrilla fighters. The analysis draws on largely untapped archival material of the Palestinian struggle, as articulated in the textual productions of Fatah, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).