King Hussein was dealt a major blow when the Arab League, in October of 1974, declared that the PLO, not Jordan, was "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people." Although he was reluctant to accept the Arab League’s declaration, Hussein eventually did so, likely influenced by the fact that twenty other Arab states had already agreed to grant the PLO representation in the League. A month later, the UN General Assembly gave the PLO observer status in the United Nations.

ã 2000 StateofIsrael.com. All rights reserved.