On the 33rd anniversary of the Intifada of Stones, two operations were carried out in the West Bank in the past three days. The first operation led to the killing of a female settler in west Jenin and the second was a shooting at Huta Gate, one of the gates of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa. Can the West Bank witness a new Intifada?
The West Bank is a place where there is daily contact with the occupation’s soldiers. It is also the one that suffers from the occupation’s crimes starting with the settlement project to murders, arrests and harassments. From the First, Second and Al-Quds Intifadas, one can list three factors that lead to intifadas or revolutions:
- Continuity of the Israeli aggressions.
- Blockage in the political scene.
- Presence of national will.
Analysis:
Regarding the first factor, the Israeli attacks on the citizens and lands are never-ending. According to Vision for Political Development in 2019 alone the number of assaults the settlers carried out on the people reached 533, the approval of 5,491 settlement units was signed, and 14,556 donums were bulldozed. In addition, the occupation attacks the holy sites and continuously imposes constraints on the checkpoints.
As for the blockage in the political scene, 66% of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank voted for Mahmoud Abbas’ resignation according to the most recent poll by The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah. This indicates the Palestinians’ belief in the need for peaceful replacement of leadership.
The national will is essential because it offers a containment for the Intifada, which requires tools and steadfastness of the people. Hamas wants a new Intifada and tries to activate some cells in the West Bank. Fatah, however, does not want it at least for now. It still bets on the new American president.
Conclusion:
Any resistance activity will be hunted down by the occupation’s and Palestinians’ forces. As a result, its continuity would be difficult – if not impossible. The success of such efforts is immediately linked to the disruption in the PA’s structure or the failure of its project, which is possible if the Israeli procedures continue (the annexation project). The new American Administration has not offered anything for the Palestinian people and is still biased to the occupation.