In its public statements, the Syrian government has long supported the Palestinian cause. In reality, the Assads sought to stymie the PLO, whose famous leader, Yasser Arafat, never trusted Damascus.
Al Majalla obtains exclusive minutes detailing PLO official Faruq al-Qaddumi's account of Arafat's final days and why he believes the Palestinian leader was assassinated
As students in Cairo in the 1960s, al-Qaddumi and Yasser Arafat founded the Palestinian Fatah movement and worked with Nasser. To his dying day, he refused to go back home under an Israeli permit
The PLO chairman now knows that he must leave Lebanon as his fighters are surrounded by the Israelis. The Syrian president is no friend, but agrees to take them in.
With an eye on the Lebanese presidency, the Phalange commander and sworn enemy of Syria sends secret messages of 'reassurance' to al-Assad. Meanwhile, Damascus refuses to host PLO fighters.
US envoy Phillip Habib proposes a plan to facilitate the PLO's exit from Beirut. Meanwhile, the Phalange party vows to end Lebanon's 'three occupations'.
It is June 1982, and Beirut is surrounded by the Israelis. In the city, there are Syrian soldiers and Palestinian fighters from Yasser Arafat's PLO. The Israelis want them both out. Cue the diplomacy.
Al Majalla begins its five-part series revealing never-before-shared details of Israel's 1982 siege of Beirut and exchanges between Hafez al-Assad and Yasser Arafat
The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza tells Al Majalla a ceasefire in Gaza is desperately needed and warns of a humanitarian 'vacuum' without UNRWA
Al-Jolani has a chance to learn from the Taliban's mistakes. The decisions he now makes will have major consequences for Syria's future and that of the region.
In an interview with Al Majalla, the head of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression says that accountability is key to ensuring peaceful coexistence in a country torn apart by war
From Gaza to Lebanon and Syria, this is the story of a year of tumult and surprise which has reshaped the region and echoed through global affairs. And Trump's return means more uncertainty ahead.
Al Majalla reviews the lives and careers of some of the world's most impressive writers, poets and artists who leave behind indelible cultural marks for future generations to appreciate