By: Prof. Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh.
The Second Palestinian National Dialogue Forum took place in Istanbul on 28-29/6/2024. This event, organized by the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, featured a significant gathering of prominent Palestinian national figures.
Operation al-Aqsa Flood has undeniably set the agenda in the Palestinian arena. The strong performance of the resistance and the widespread popular support, combined with the Israeli aggression and its brutality and bloodshed, have placed significant responsibilities on all those involved in Palestinian affairs. It is no longer a matter of merely talking and meeting, but of rising to the level of the immense sacrifices made by the Palestinian people and their resistance, especially in the Gaza Strip (GS).
It has become imperative for every capable person to put forth their efforts and energies, and to organize and mobilize the energies of the Palestinian people, along with the support of the Ummah (Muslim nation) and all the free people of the world, in the struggle for resistance, liberation and return. There is no longer time to wait at the doorstep of those who hinder and delay putting the Palestinian political house in order. Time is not merely valuable but vital…, time today is not gold, it is life, it is blood!! History is forged by the people through their sacrifices!!
The “intellectual terrorism” and scare tactics used by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and (PA) leadership on its people must be confronted. These tactics obstruct the process of putting the Palestinian house in order and rebuilding official institutions. This should occur on a truly representative and transparent basis that expresses the higher interests of the Palestinian people and protects their fundamentals.
It has become crude for this leadership to accuse others of bypassing “legitimacy” whenever they take any serious initiative to repair the Palestinian house. While it hijacks the legitimacy of representation, disrupts the free will of the Palestinian people, stands against the PLO charter, and persecutes the resistance forces, which polls indicate represent the broadest segment of Palestinians at home and abroad.
It has become crude for this leadership to accuse others of causing “schism,” when it is, in fact, the primary cause of such division. This is evident in its disruption of Palestinian institutional work, refusal to integrate Palestinian forces and competent individuals, shutting the doors of the PLO to them, and placing bets on cooperation with the occupation and paths that the Palestinian people have rejected.
It has also become crude for this leadership to invoke the “past” to justify present-day concessions, betray the resistance, destabilize institutions and collaborate with Israel.
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Now that Operation al-Aqsa Flood has broadened our horizons, and as we witness our people and resistance making history, committed Palestinians must focus on rebuilding the Palestinian national project in alignment with the liberation effort. This entails mobilizing the energies of Palestinians both at home and abroad through a robust institutional framework that integrates Arab, Muslim and global dimensions.
Rather than awaiting official Palestinian leadership or factional agreements, popular forces, frameworks, prominent figures and skilled individuals should spearhead efforts within grassroots movements, trade unions and Palestinian communities abroad. They should exemplify genuine national commitment by activating popular frameworks and institutional structures. This approach ensures that Palestinians everywhere (whether they are engineers, doctors, workers, farmers, teachers, economists, or lawyers, etc.) can effectively contribute to the resistance efforts according to their abilities and expertise.
Second, efforts should focus on establishing national unity or a broad national coalition that bolsters resistance, advocates for reform, and puts the Palestinian house in order on a solid footing.
Third, we must seek to agree on a Palestinian transitional leadership that will facilitate the process of putting the Palestinian house in order in a smooth and consensual democratic manner. This leadership should restore the integrity of institutional structures, and integrate skilled and competent individuals from all directions, both internally and externally.
Fourth, we must agree on a new political program that goes beyond the Oslo phase, putting forth a serious and realistic effort to manage the resistance project and defeat the occupation.
Fifth, we should not be fixated on the idea of reforming the PA under occupation that controls its resources and actions, holding it captive to its agenda. Instead, our priority should be forging an independent Palestinian national agenda, free from Israel’s influence, that truly represents Palestinians both locally and globally.
However, there is nothing wrong with consistent systematic advancement, but any agreed-upon framework must be dynamic and effective rather than disruptive. It should provide ample opportunity for youth to harness their vast potential, and it should accommodate competent and independent individuals in the best possible manner.
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Finally, Operation al-Aqsa Flood has provided an opportunity to set the Palestinian house in order, and it would be a disservice to the Palestinian people and their sacrifices not to utilize it optimally on the road to liberation and return.
Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations, 5/7/2024
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