Defiant Palestinians set up new memorial for the one Israel stole

After Israeli forces raided the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin before dawn Friday and removed a memorial stone commemorating assassinated Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) leader Khalid Nazzal, prompting a Palestinian in the town to open fire toward the Israeli soldiers, activists set up a new memorial stone at the same site on Saturday.

Before the new memorial was erected in Jenin, activists established an additional memorial stone for Nazzal in the central West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday afternoon “as a challenge Israeli authorities,” who have on numerous occasions destroyed memorials commemorating Palestinians slain by Israeli forces.

This memorial stone for martyr Khalid Nazzal was set to challenge the Israeli authorities Palestinian People

Text reads: “This memorial stone for martyr Khalid Nazzal was set to challenge the Israeli authorities #PalestinianPeople”

A week prior to the Israeli raid in Jenin to take down the stone, Palestinian authorities from the Jenin municipality had themselves removed Nazzal’s memorial, but replaced it a day later following local uproar, as Palestinian residents perceived the removal as capitulation to Israeli accusations that the monument would incite to anti-Israeli violence.

Following the restitution of the plaque, the Israeli army informed the Palestinian Authority (PA) that it would carry out a raid to remove the stone once again.

While Israeli authorities have claimed that a wave of violence that first erupted in October 2015 was caused largely by “incitement” among Palestinians, Palestinians have instead pointed chiefly to the frustration and despair brought on by Israel’s 50-year military occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as the absence of a political horizon, as reasons for the outbreak of violence.

Many Palestinians have also pointed out that Israeli violence has continued to shape everyday life in the occupied territory, regardless of any recent “upticks” in clashes or attacks.

Memorial for Khalid Nazzal in Jenin city, before it was removed by Israeli forces in a predawn raid on June 30, 2017

Site in Jenin city were Nazzal’s previous memorial stood, before being removed by the Israeli army (Photo courtesy of Musaab Zayyud)