Defending Jerusalem and Viability of Armed Resistance
The public opinion is preoccupied with the Palestinian resistance against the Israeli aggression on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and in some neighbourhoods of Jerusalem, where Israelis tried to forcibly oust their residents. These developments have raised many questions, such as: What is the advantage of the Palestinian armed resistance of the conflict which had started peacefully in Jerusalem? It is a question which never surfaced with every confrontation between Israel and the resistance movements.
There is a silence of a particular political axis and elites of certain political, religious, artistic and other circles. Is this silence acceptable? Is there any statement in the silence? While it is well-known that religious luminaries are silent, some artists expressed their support for the Palestinian cause. How should we evaluate the absurdity involved in the duality of silence and pronouncements on this issue?
The first question is for those who are inside Palestine and the second question is for those outside it and have the moral responsibility to help Palestinians, particularly Arab states around it. It is moral responsibility of these Arab countries to help Palestinians with whatever they have. It is their moral and religious duty.
One should understand that the parties which are related to the issue and are involved in it and have necessary information can better evaluate it. Those who will have to bear material and human costs of their decision can assess it better.
(by Moataz Al-Khatib in Al Jazeera)
Throughout the history of their long, arduous and difficult struggle, the Palestinians have taken every path to prove their existence and regain their rights as a people. This includes popular uprisings, disturbances, and armed struggle, in the manner of guerrilla warfare and under fixed rules, right up to hijacking planes, and explosive operations. Then came the missile warfare, which was adopted after Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, and Hamas’s domination over it since 2007 and what we are witnessing these days.
For decades, the Palestinians have proven that the spirit of struggle is still alive in their hearts. They have always shown their high willingness to sacrifice. But their problem lies in their lack of a clear and appropriate combat, or a military strategy, and their deficiency of a successful management of their human resources and energies, as well as their lack of adequate Arab and international data which could have enabled them to invest their sacrifices and heroism.
Now, considering that the war is still going on, and it is difficult to predict how it will end, there would always be certain questions raised about it.
As for the official Palestinian leadership, which is the PLO, the authority and the Fatah movement, it is likely to have lost a lot of its standing and image vis-à-vis its people, compared to Hamas.
(by Majid Kayali in Al Arab)
Compiled and Translated by Faizul Haque