Basel’s story: the manner of his death reflected his life

From his will, that has been circulated since his death, one can get to know the martyr Basel Al-Araj. It epitomised his clarity, simplicity, and depth of his determination.

However, there are some questions left behind by the death of Basel Al-Araj that are unresolved. In Basel’s case, questions focus on the occupation forces and their storming of Ramallah. There are also questions about the unfair unjustified contradiction of deploying hundreds of armed soldiers to oppress a peaceful march in protest of political arrests and the disappearance of these soldiers when it comes to an armed Israeli raid of a home that is mere metres away from their headquarters without any of their consciences kicking in to push them to perform their natural duty in such a situation.

There will be questions of the despairing “what if”, such as: What if there wasn’t a Palestinian government that was willing to coordinate with the occupation forces and against individuals resisting for their lives? What if Basel and his friends were allowed to operate in conditions that were less bleak and more welcoming? What would have happened if Basel and his friends’ dream were set free in a different time in Palestine?

Basel Al-Araj’s death summed up his life journey because it demonstrated his loyalty to what he believed in. Basel died content, with no hesitation, as he preferred confrontation and martyrdom over imprisonment. He was in death, as he was in life, stubborn and firm and did not act at the expense of his values.

This blood that flowed from his heart and darkened Ramallah’s morning was his declaration of rebellion in its finest forms; rebellion against misery and humiliation, against the daggers of the treacherous, and against the breaking of will.

Translated from Felesteen, 7 March 2017

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