Palestinians abroad and their important role in the national project

Some Palestinians assume that the resolution of the conflict with the Israeli occupation must be by force alone and that we are facing a battle in the traditional and superficial sense. Based on this belief, if power alone is available, then the battle can be resolved, the balances of power are flipped, and the issue is ended. The truth of the matter is that this is an exaggerated simplification of a historical battle that has gone on for a long time.

The Israeli state was not established in 1948 due to the defeat of the Arabs in the war that occurred that year; a war British Lt Gen Sir John Glubb referred to as a “phony war”. He, Glubb Pasha, led the Arab armies that participated, as a formality, and this phony war in his capacity as commander of the Jordanian army.

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Those who have read history would understand that the establishment of the Israeli state was the result of at least 200 years of pure political and media work. After this hard work on the political and media level, Zionist gangs began to form in preparation to turn into an organised army to protect a state on the verge of establishment. This army (or gang) successfully used force in the appropriate time and place.

Given these facts and based on this, it does not seem right to look down on the work of Palestinians abroad, or the efforts made by the Palestinian communities in the West, or the formation of political lobby groups by Palestinian communities. This is because without their work, the Palestinian cause cannot be explained, we cannot promote our narrative, nor can we reach the West, including the decision-making capitals to influence them. This is a stage that preceded the establishment of the Israeli state by at least 100 years. The Jewish political organisations were greatly successful in this area and ultimately received international support, allowing them to make the dream written by Theodore Herzl in a book in Austria in 1896 a reality on Palestinian land in 1948, i.e. 52 years later.

Accordingly, the Palestinian Return Centre’s (a Palestinian centre operating in London) participation in the UN sessions discussing affairs related to refugees, the wall, settlements, and Israeli attacks on the land and people, is a great achievement that must not be ignored. In addition to this, a parliamentary meeting organised by Europal or a visit organised by it to refugee camps are both very important and major steps on the path to explain the Palestinian perspective. Moreover, an event organised by the PLO office in a European capital or an event organised by the Palestinian embassy in a western country can make a big difference and change a lot. The results of these efforts cannot be instantaneous and cannot be felt by those observing the situation overnight; it is an accumulative effort that may be felt by future generations, just like Herzl wasn’t present when his dream came true. He was merely a photograph hung above David Ben-Gurion as he declared the establishment of Israel on 14 May 1948.

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The Palestinian efforts in the West cannot be marginalised, and this applies to the diplomatic efforts made by the PA, PLO and embassies scattered across the world. It also applies to the Palestinian civil organisations, the foreign organisations supporting the Palestinian rights, and the Palestinian communities across the world. All of this work is important and contributes to the efforts aiming to restore the rights of the Palestinian people. It also makes a significant difference in the world’s position, including the public opinions of the free people. We saw this clearly represented when over 100,000 Britons demonstrated against the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip in 2014. They also protested the coverage of the BBC, which is funded by their tax money. This was an unprecedented and unfamiliar scene that would not have occurred unless the Israeli narrative had been exposed and if the Israeli lies no longer fool the civilised world. All of this has been made possible because the alternate narrative has become present.

The bottom line is that the Palestinian national project is a long-term struggle, and this project needs a nation who has enough patience to reach their goal. Ultimately, the time will tell and those defeated in the past will be victorious in the future. According to Ibn Khaldun, the lives of civilisations like the natural lifespan of individuals; they are born, they grow old and they die.

Translated from Al-Quds Al-Arabi, 14 February 2017

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