Power to the People: Why Palestinian Victory in Jerusalem is a Pivotal Moment
02 August 2017By Ramzy Baroud
Neither Fatah nor Hamas have been of much relevance to the mass protests
staged around Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. Neither have American
pressure, half-hearted European 'concern about the situation' or cliché Arab
declarations made one iota of difference. United Nations officials warned of
the grim scenarios of escalation, but their statements were mere words.
The spontaneous mass movement in Jerusalem, which eventually defeated Israeli
plans to change the status of Al-Aqsa was purely a people's movement. Despite
the hefty price of several dead and hundreds wounded, it challenged both the
Israeli government and the quisling Palestinian leadership.
Israel shut down Al-Aqsa compound on 14 July, following a shootout between
three armed Palestinians and Israeli occupation officers. The compound was
reopened a few days later, but Palestinian worshipers refused to enter, as
massive security installation, gates, cameras and metal detectors were
installed.
The people of Jerusalem immediately understood the implication of the Israeli
action. In the name of added security measures, the Israeli government was
exploiting the situation to change the status of Al-Aqsa, as part of its
efforts to further isolate Palestinians and Judaize the illegally occupied
city.
The Israeli army occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem in 1967, annexing it in
1981 in defiance of international law and despite strong UN objection.
For 50 years, Jerusalem has endured daily battles. The Israelis fought to
expand their influence in the city, increase the number of illegal Jewish
settlers and cut off Jerusalem from the rest of the Palestinian Territories;
while Palestinians, Muslim and Christians alike, fought back.
Al-Aqsa compound – also known as Haram Al-Sharif or the Noble Sanctuary – is
the most symbolic element in the fight. It is a microcosm of the fate of the
occupied city, in fact the fate of the entire Palestinian land.
The compound has been administered by Islamic Waqf, through an
Israeli-Jordanian understanding. Many Israeli politicians in the Likud Party
and the Netanyahu-led rightwing government coalition have tried to change
this.
Palestinians understand that the fate of their mosque and the future of their
city are tightly linked. For them, if Al-Aqsa is lost, then Jerusalem is truly
conquered.
This fight, between Palestinian worshipers and the Israeli army happens every
single day, usually escalating on Friday. It is on this holy day for Muslims
that tens of thousands of faithful flock to Al-Aqsa to pray, oftentimes to be
met by new military gates and army regulations. Young Palestinians, in
particular, have been blocked from reaching Al-Aqsa, also in the name of
security.
But the struggle for Jerusalem can rarely be expressed in numbers, death toll
and televised reports. It is the ordinary Palestinians' constant fight for
space, for identity and to preserve the sanctity of their holy land.
In the last two years, the fight escalated further as Israel began expanding
its illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and rightwing parties issued a
series of laws targeting Palestinians in the city. One such law is the call
for prayer law, aimed at preventing mosques from making the call for prayers
at dawn, as has been the practice for a millennium.
Palestinian youth, many born after the failed Oslo Accords, are fed up as the
Israeli military controls every aspect of their lives and their corrupt
leadership grows more irrelevant and self-serving.
This frustration has been expressed in numerous ways: in non-violent
resistance, new political ideas, in art, music, on social media, but also
through individual acts of violent resistance.
Since the most recent Al-Quds Intifada – Jerusalem uprising – started in
October 2015, "some 285 Palestinians have died in alleged attacks, protests
and (Israeli) army raids," reported Farah Najjar and Zena Tahhan. About 47
Israelis were killed in that same period.
But the Intifada was somehow contained and managed. Certainly, human rights
groups protested many of the army killings of Palestinians as unnecessary or
unprovoked, but little has changed on the ground. The Palestinian Authority
has continued to operate almost entirely independent from the violent reality
faced by its people on a daily basis.
The shootout of July 14 could have registered as yet another violent episode
of many that have been reported in Jerusalem in recent months. Following such
events, the Israeli official discourse ignores the military occupation
entirely and focuses instead on Israel's security problem caused by
'Palestinian terror'. Politicians then, swoop in with new laws, proposals and
radical ideas to exploit a tragic situation and remold the status quo.
Considering the numerous odds faced by Palestinians, every rational political
analysis would have rightly concluded that Palestinians were losing this
battle as well. With the United States fully backing Israeli measures and the
international community growing distant and disinterested, the people of
Jerusalem could not stand a chance.
But such understanding of conflict, however logical, often proves terribly
wrong, since it casually overlooks the people.
In this latest confrontation, Palestinians of Jerusalem won, presenting an
impressive model of mobilization and popular solidarity for all Palestinians.
The Israeli army removed the barricades and the metal detectors, pushing
Israel to the brink of a political crisis involving angry politicians, the
army and internal intelligence, the Shin Bet.
The people's victory was a massive embarrassment for Mahmoud Abbas, the
President of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. He tried to 'piggyback off
the protests' but failed, reported the Atlantic.
Other factions, too, moved quickly to mobilize on the people's victory, but
their efforts have appeared staged and insincere.
"Today is a joyful day, full of celebration and sorrow at the same time –
sorrow for the people who lost their lives and were injured," a protester told
Journalists, as thousands stormed the gates of Jerusalem armed with their
prayer rugs, flags and voices hoarse from chanting for nearly two weeks.
"This is very much a grassroots movement – this isn't led by Hamas or Fatah,
the traditional political leaders of the Palestinians," journalist Imran Khan
reported from outside the compound.
This grassroot movement was made of thousands of women, men and children. They
included Zeina Amro, who cooked daily for those who held steadfast outside the
compound, was shot by a rubber bullet in the head, yet returned to urge the
men to stand their ground the following day.
It also includes the child Yousef Sakafi, whose chores included splashing
water over people as they sat endless hours under the unforgiving sun,
refusing to move.
It also includes many Palestinian Christians who came to pray with their
Muslim brethren.
Conveying the scene from Jerusalem, television news footage and newspaper
photos showed massive crowds of people, standing, sitting, praying or running
in disarray among bullets, sound bombs and gas canisters.
But the crowds are made up of individuals, the likes of Zeina, Yousef and many
more, all driven by their insistence to face injustice with their bare chests
in an inspiring display of human tenacity.
Of course, more violence will follow, as the Israeli occupation is enriched
and relentless, but ordinary Palestinians will not quit the fight. They have
held resolute for nearly 70 years.
Rational political analysis cannot possibly fathom how a nation undergoing
numerous odds can still mobilize against an army, and win.
But the power of the people often exceeds what is seemingly rational. Almost
leaderless, Palestinians remain a strong nation, united by an identity that is
predicated on the pillars of human rights, resistance and steadfastness.
- Dr. Ramzy Baroud has been writing about the Middle East for over 20
years. He is an internationally-syndicated columnist, a media consultant, an
author of several books and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com. His article
was published in MEMO.
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