Al-Zaytouna Center for Studies and Consultations has issued a new book entitled “Palestinian Resistance Against Israeli Occupation in Jerusalem (1987–2015).” The 398-page book is a thesis by which the author has acquired his Master’s Degree in Israeli Studies at Al-Quds University in 2016.
This book highlights the historical sequence of uprisings and protests and the motives behind Palestinians’ insistence to resist the Israeli occupation, which was the first reason to obstruct the absolute Judaization of the city.
The book also tackles how the resistance in Jerusalem has developed its performance in accordance to the Israeli security developments. Moreover, the book explains how resistance passes through generations without stoppage.
The center offers the Arabic book for free download.
>> Free Download: Palestinian Resistance Against Israeli Occupation in Jerusalem (1987–2015)  (400 pages, 4.5 MB) (Arabic) |
Publication Information Arabic – Title: Al-Muqawamah al-Filastiniyyah li al-Ihtilal al-Israeli fi bait al-Maqdis 1987-2015 (Palestinian Resistance Against Israeli Occupation in Jerusalem 1987–2015) – Author: Khaled Ibrahim Abu ‘Arafeh – Hard Cover: 398 pages – Published in: 2017 – Price: $15 – Publisher: Al-Zaytouna Center for Studies and Consultations – ISBN: 978-9953-572-66-6  |
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Book Review: Palestinian Resistance Against Israeli Occupation in Jerusalem(1987–2015)
Reviewed by Dr. Omar Abed al-Hafiz al-Jayousi – journalist and writer.
Introduction
The Palestinian resistance in Jerusalem has relied on its own capabilities and self-organization to continue its confrontation against the arrogant occupation, and convince the Islamic nation of the necessity of embracing its cause and correct its bearings in the direction of the central Palestinian issue.
Al-Zaytouna Center has taken it upon itself to convey information from its Palestinian roots, issuing strategic reports and, humanitarian series, and crucial books including this work, documents the work of the resistance in Jerusalem.
Importance of the Book
Following a review of previous studies on Jerusalem affairs, the author of those studies determines that there is a lack of a comprehensive focused study that contains statistics and categorizations of the methods and operations of the resistance in Jerusalem.
One reason perhaps was that writing on this subject requires field studies, statistics, and interviews, given the need for primary and accurate data on the resistance against the Israeli occupation growing abuses in Jerusalem. In contrast, the Israel institutions keep full documents on all events and incidents.
Adding to the book’s importance is the fact that its author, Engineer Khaled Abu ‘Arafeh, was motivated by the knowledge that the resistance in Jerusalem needs such a study, but also by his personal circumstances. Indeed, Abu ‘Arafeh suffered injustice himself when his Jerusalem residence was revoked after he was appointed as Minister for Jerusalem Affairs in the Tenth Palestinian government, and subsequently detained, prosecuted, and arbitrarily banished from the city.
Crucially then, this book sheds light on the uprisings and protests as well as resistance activities against the Israeli occupation in Jerusalem in the period 1987–2015.
Although the Israel has fulfilled many of its objectives in Jerusalem, as the book shows, nonetheless, the Palestinians have continued to be steadfast and have resisted hard the Judaization of their city and have sought to head off Israeli expansion in some parts of Jerusalem, so that city’s Arab and Islamic identity may survive.
The Author
Khaled Abu ‘Arafeh was born in Jerusalem in 1961. He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Baghdad, and an MA in Israeli Studies from the Regional Studies Institute at Al-Quds University.
He was appointed Minister for Jerusalem Affairs in the Tenth Palestinian government. He was abducted, detained, and interrogated by Israel on a number of occasions, before he took asylum in the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) where he remained for 19 months. He was subsequently detained again and banished from Jerusalem and remained so at the time of publication of this book.
Of him Prof. Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh writes in his preface: “The author is a freedom fighter who has not only fought with the word, but has been on the ground in Jerusalem, encountering all kinds of suffering.”
The Book
The book falls in 400 pages, including 100 pages of references and appendices. The book is divided into a preface, four chapters, recommendations, a conclusion, and bibliography and appendices.
First Chapter: The author highlights here the link between the status of occupied Jerusalem and the need for resistance, adducing a number of international laws that guarantee the right of the Palestinian people to resistance, the use of force, and support and solidarity with the Palestinian people’s struggle.
The chapter overviews the methods used by Jerusalemites to resist the occupation, and outlines the history of resistance in Jerusalem, from the time of the British mandate, the Zionist organizations, the Great Palestinian Revolt, and resistance against Zionist gangs.
Second Chapter: The author addresses popular resistance and Palestinian uprisings against the Israeli occupation in Jerusalem. he explains the various methods followed by the resistance, including: disobedience, sit-ins, raising of banners, statements and leaflets, protests, pickets, melee weapon attacks, roadside bombs against military units, kidnapping of soldiers to swap them for Palestinian prisoners, and planning and supporting “self-immolation” operations.
Third Chapter: By far the longest chapter in the book, it deals with nine types of abuses perpetrated by the occupation, including: Judaization and Israelization, settlement, confiscation of land and property, desecration of holy sites, banishment and dispossession of native residents, home demolitions, detentions, economic punishment, and the construction of the disastrous separation wall.
The chapter highlights the growing culture of resistance among Palestinians against these violations, with a survey of a representative Jerusalemite sample regarding these violations and individual and collective resistance against them.
Fourth Chapter: The author in this chapter highlights examples of the groups engaging in resistance in Jerusalem, including: Various Palestinian organizations, political movements, the Jerusalemite street, Jerusalem’s Christians, women and children in the city, and the Jerusalemite media.
The author referred to some obstacles, internal problems, and normalization issues in the Jerusalemite media, highlighting the role of the media battle in resisting occupation.
Appendices: These include varied important tables, including: A table of resistance operations in Jerusalem, a table of Jerusalemite martyrs, a table containing information on Jerusalemites with long sentences, a table on Jerusalemite prisoners who were martyred, a table of Jerusalemite martyrs, and a table on Jerusalemites who have been banished from the city. Other tables are also included, adding a distinguished value to the book’s information.
References: The book has drawn from Arabic references, translated references, personal interviews, previous literature on the topic, magazines, newspapers, diaries, primary documents, strategic assessments, websites, and working papers.
The book concludes that Israeli security developments have forced the Palestinian resistance to constantly upgrade its own work and methods, and has increased the determination of the Jerusalemites to defend and make sacrifices for their city, overcoming Palestinian frustration and the abandonment of Palestinian and Arab leaders.
The author recommends establishing a central authority and unifying national efforts behind resistance, as well as developing specialized research centers focused on Jerusalem affairs to put forward the Palestinian narrative against the invalid Israeli one.
The author indicates that the Jerusalemites have proven their ability to protect their identity and be resourceful in finding methods to resist, including ramming and stabbing attacks against Israeli soldiers and settlers, and thus, the occupation’s security services have been dealt a setback by the resistance. Yet, he points out that the division of the Palestinian position vis-à-vis the Intifadah, between those who support peaceful settlement and those who support resistance, led to its hindrance and de-escalation.
Perhaps the qualitative addition the author has made in his book was not only the details his study gathered, but also the open question regarding the future of the resistance in a land whose history has proven that all those who violate true scriptures will be expelled from it.
We expect this study to be therefore a qualitative addition to the sources sought by researchers into resistance in Jerusalem. While warning against the double standard in international attitudes, some of which have repeatedly announced their understanding of the behavior of Israel in Jerusalem, it was important to highlight the positive developments in international law and recent UNESCO resolutions on al-Aqsa Mosque in the summer of 2017.
The Arabic version of “Book Review” article appeared on Al Jazeera.net on 30/8/2017.
Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations, 31/8/2017
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