Fatah and the imminent Intifada

There is a positive change in the Palestinian Authority’s official position and I hope that this will spread and we will see its fruits on the ground. There is enthusiasm amongst the ranks of Fatah for a revolution and a sentimental union growing amongst the Palestinians. All that is left is for the security forces and their men to join their people and defend them with their weapons and expertise. They must stop cooperating with and remaining committed to the security agreements with the Israelis, as the president says, because the occupation authorities have not fulfilled any of their promises or agreements. Commitment to these agreements achieves nothing more than disappointment and a deviation from the national path.

The security forces’ participation in defending their people, instead of the settlers, will actually mean the beginning of an intifada. There is action being taken within these forces, albeit cautiously , as there are fears for what might happen, although I believe that the people will provide a safe environment for them, very different to that provided by the occupation; a restricted environment and a distortion of their national identity, labelling them as the new Palestinians. Any change in these forces will mean that the Americans can no longer rely on infiltrating the Palestinian front from the inside.

The Fatah supporters’ joy over the shooting incident in Nablus last week is unmatched, and it revealed their staff and youth’s spontaneity, even amongst those who joined the movement after the political split. Their joy was like a thirsty man in a scorching desert who finds a river fresher than the Euphrates under his feet and does not know what to do next. In Gaza, sweets were distributed and the people gathered and congratulated each other. In the West Bank, members of Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades gathered and fired shots in the air to celebrate.

This means one thing: that true Fatah supporters are eager to return to their rifles and armed resistance to the Israeli occupation. It also means that the PA leadership has become isolated from the heart of the movement’s youth. This reinforces the hope that Fatah’s role in the armed struggle will be inevitable. As such, we must unite as one body and work towards an armed revolutionary wave. Our efforts must grow and each one of us must play a role.

If Fatah adopts the armed struggle, its popularity will double and its supporters will increase. The Palestinian people are passionate about this. Our disagreement with the Fatah hawks is that they have neglected their arms for a long time.

The third intifada does not need an incident to set it into motion; rather a radical change in Ramallah’s philosophy. Its security doctrine, which is based on protecting its agreements with Israel, especially the security agreement, must be changed to a national doctrine that stresses the right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves and resist their occupier.

There is still hesitation within the PA to stand with the Palestinian people’s choice. This is evidenced by the fact that President Abbas’s speeches still contain reassurances and clear messages to Netanyahu’s government that he will not allow any action that would lead to a real popular uprising.

The intifada in the West Bank is an issue of concern for the Israeli occupation and a source of fear. This is because another uprising will thwart its plans to distort the Palestinian identity by maintaining the political division, Judaising Jerusalem, building more settlements, completing the Wall and exhausting the Palestinian forces.

Translated from Palinfo.com, 5 October, 2015

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.