Ibrahim Saqr Alzaeem

The Palestinian arena is currently busied with parliamentary, presidential and National Council elections. Undoubtedly, the Palestinian people needs new leaderships and reformation of its institutions under one national partnership that shoulders the responsibility of liberation and reconstruction. Therefore, the factions which decided to participate in the elections are holding their own primaries, and are discussing the lists they plan to persuade the Palestinian public with.

On the other hand, the ‘Israeli’ occupation continues to exercise brutal practices against the Palestinians in the occupied Al-Quds. On the second week of February, the occupation forces demolished agricultural caravans in Ras Al-Amud neighborhood and forced the Jerusalemites to demolish their own homes and facilities, and over 120 settlers profaned Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa.  

The two most alarming pieces of news were not thoroughly addressed. First, it was announced that some representatives of Joe Biden’s Administration attended a meeting that was held by the so-called ‘Regional Committee’ on the establishment of a compound, encompassing offices and dorms, for the American embassy in Al-Quds. The second news is the scheme to displace about 140,000 Jerusalemites through isolating their residential communities in the north and east of Al-Quds.

The American Embassy project reflects the American policy towards our rights, indicating that it did not change. Can the Palestinians trust American mediation again? I am also concerned over having the USA intervening with our affairs again and the PA’s agreement on resuming negotiations, especially after Biden’s promise to resend aids to the PA and follow a fair policy towards the Palestinian cause.  

I do not see, however, how such promise can be fulfilled when the USA continues to support the ‘Israeli’ occupation! I also do not understand how we can trust the American Administration when it is an accomplice in the practice of Judaizational policies.

Considering the surrounding threats, it is important for us to reorganize our priorities and focus on facing the policies that aim to annihilate us, especially in Al-Quds. The elections are meaningless if we do not defend and protect the Arabs’ rights in Al-Quds.

The Palestinians’ insistence on the Jerusalemites’ participation in the elections is a form of rights’ protection, and it is appreciated. However, this requires joint work among all national, Arab and Islamic institutions, powers and committees in order to protect the social, political, educational and economic rights of the people of Al-Quds.

Hence comes the importance of having a comprehensive program that is based on three main foundations: reinforcing the steadfastness of the Jerusalemites, exposing the occupation’s crimes and falsification of history, and increasing the level of popular and official solidarity and advocacy of the rights of Al-Quds.

This is our final battle. Failing means the success of the normalization project. It is completely unacceptable to let the Judaizational policies be implemented while we are busied with politics. I fear that such political work is meant to function as a distraction to facilitate the occupation’s implementation of serious schemes related to the Palestinian cause in general and Al-Quds in particular.

Al-Quds’ status quo is heartbreaking. In order to change it, we need to align, side by side, with one clear vision and the support of all Islamic countries (especially Qatar, Turkey and Malaysia). It is important to utilize the political, financial and media powers of these states in order to save the last pillar of this nation’s dignity: Al-Quds.