In the mid-1980s , Yasser Arafat , describing how sumud is a political strategy that is prerequisite to fighting said , " The most important element in the Palestinian program is holding onto the land . Holding onto the land and not warfare alone . Warfare comes at a different level . If you only fight - that is a tragedy . If you fight and emigrate - that is a tragedy . The basis is that you hold on and fight . The important thing is that you hold onto the land and afterward - combat . " Sumud in this sense has meant " staying put despite continuous assault . " It is not merely about passive endurance , but " an act of unyielding resistance and defiance . " Palestinian refugees , both those living within and outside of the occupied territories , often describe their ability to both resist and endure camp life as sumud . The holding out of Palestinian refugees against the assaults on Tel al-Zaatar and Sabra and Shatila in Lebanon are cited as prime examples of sumud
Sabra and Shatila
Sabra and Shatila massacre
Sumud