What Is an Intifada? (Written by the Israel Digital Center. Date of writing: 07/07/25)

Understanding the True Meaning Behind the Word “Intifada”

In recent years, especially during pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world, the call to “globalize the intifada” has become increasingly common.
But before understanding what this slogan means, it’s important to understand what “intifada” actually is.

The Meaning of “Intifada”

The Arabic word intifada literally means “shaking off.”
In the Palestinian context, however, it refers to a violent uprising - most often involving organized attacks, riots, and acts of terror against Israeli civilians.
In Israel, the word Intifada is associated with periods of intense violence and widespread terrorism that targeted ordinary people in buses, restaurants, and city streets.

The Intifadas in Israel

There have been two Palestinian intifadas so far:

First Intifada (1987–1993):

Mass riots, rock-throwing, roadblocks, Molotov cocktails – along with terror attacks by Hamas and Islamic Jihad (stabbings, shootings, kidnappings, car bombs). 154 civilians were murdered.

Second Intifada (2000–2005):

A wave of brutal terror attacks, mostly suicide bombings and shootings by terror organizations Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad – targeting buses, restaurants, and hotels. 1,060 civilians were murdered.

In both uprisings, the victims were innocent civilians: Israelis and Arabs, men, women, children, and the elderly.

“Globalize the Intifada” - What Does That Really Mean?

The phrase “globalize the intifada” has become a rallying cry at protests and on social media. While it may sound like a call for solidarity or liberation, its true meaning is rooted in violence.

It echoes the same uprisings that involved terror attacks, killings, and destruction. now rebranded as a global movement.

Many activists chanting it may not understand its origins, but Palestinian terror groups and movement leaders certainly do.

By calling for “globalizing the intifada”, they promote the spread of violence far beyond the borders of Israel. including against Jewish communities and Western targets worldwide.

The world deserves to understand what “intifada” truly means - not as a slogan, but as a violent reality that claimed thousands of innocent lives.
Recognizing its real meaning is essential before the term becomes normalized, detached from its history, and exported as a symbol of “resistance.”