Naeem Mushtaha
“It is an idea, and ideas never die”. Following this in mind, the Islamic Palestinian resistance’ leaders raised a generation whose mission is to glorify the word of Allah at all times and in all places. The occupation’s terrorism, the gladiators’ whips, and the attackers’ burning fire never horrified them; it was the new generation’s strong faith that kept them steadfast in the face of all difficulties and obstacles. They have been exerting all efforts in order to liberate Palestine from Rafah, in the south, to Ra’s Al-Naqurah, in the north.
The occupation attempted to force the Palestinian people to stop resisting, give up on their rights, and recognize the legality of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian soil. However, it only managed to persuade an alienated group and could not tempt the Palestinian people who resisted and still resist for the liberation of their country.
The occupation’s attempts included terrorizing any person who disturbed ‘the peaceful’ life of the occupiers, dissecting the Palestinian people and changing the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s ideology from armed resistance that aims to liberate Palestine completely, to peaceful negotiations and recognition of the legality of the Israeli occupation’s presence in Palestine.
The Danger of Oslo Accords:
Zionism’s plans were not to end at the fragmentation of the Palestinian people. The Israeli occupation sought the conclusion of the Oslo Accords in 1993, upon which the PLO conceded 78.8% of the Palestinian lands which were under British occupation, and the Palestinian National Authority was formed. The Authority’s main mission was to secure the Israeli occupation and ensure that its plans were not thwarted. The security is, then, achieved in cooperation with the security bodies of the PA. It was the occupation’s plan to busy the Palestinian people with social problems that would result in bloodshed.
Nevertheless, the Israeli occupation could not achieve its objectives as a wise Palestinian leadership that believed in armed resistance still existed and continued to raise a generation with one goal: to raise the word of Allah and terminate the occupation in Palestine. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, for example, did not plant weakness and humiliation in the new generation. Instead, he taught them to continuously call for Islam, and have strong belief in the resistance of the occupation wherever they went.
Leaders and Resistance:
A key example is Abdul-Aziz Al-Rantisi who was imprisoned but continued to call for Allah inside the prison as well. He spent the time recruiting the Palestinians imprisoned with him in order to work against the Israeli occupation and believe in armed resistance as a military solution to end the occupation. Their slogan was, “What was taken by force can only be restored by force”.
Salah Khalaf, a Fatah leader who fought during the Palestinian Intifada, did not give up his weapon at all costs, and called those who did ‘donkeys’.
After having highlighted the virtues of some Palestinian leaders who have contributed to the Palestinian revolution the past years and the reinforcement of its principles in the minds and hearts of the Palestinian people, we must point out the fruits of their work.
One can see the product of Ahmed Yassin’s work; he founded the Islamic Resistance Movement ‘Hamas’ and its military wing ‘Al-Qassam’, which are deemed as the primary weapon fighting against the Israeli occupation. In fact, the Movement has developed ‘the war of brains’ as another tool against the occupation.
Abdul-Aziz Al-Rantisi, one of the founders of Hamas, promised that Al-Qassam would launch rockets at the occupied Tel Al-Rabi’, Haifa and Safed. Although he was martyred before he could see it, Al-Qassam Brigades launched R160 locally-manufactured rocket at occupied Haifa in 2014.
Fathi Al-Shaqaqi, too, founded the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine and its military wing ‘Al-Quds Brigades’. Despite his martyrdom, the Movement continued working on the mission: fighting the occupation until it is entirely uprooted from the occupied lands.
Steadfastness Despite Obstacles:
The occupation has tried everything to divert the resistance from its mission. It hunted the fighters, imprisoned them in uninhabitable prisons, prevented them from seeing their families, and targeted their assets to make them feel beaten and useless. All these atrocities, however, failed to stop the resistance fighters.
Based on the above-mentioned, we conclude that the ‘idea’ of the Palestinian resistance would never end due to materialistic, political or military obstacles. True believers in a good cause, i.e. the Palestinian resistance, would not stop easily because they know that they must work hard in order to reap the fruit of their efforts. They also know that the end will not serve the disbelievers, but it will serve the protectors of the truth.
The occupation already knows this. The current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once said that he is trying to ensure ‘Israel’ survives its eighth decade in Palestine, but the only thing the occupation will have on Palestinian soil is its graveyard.