The Intifada is still ongoing

The Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories and in the diaspora  recently marked the 19th anniversary of the second Intifada which erupted following a provocative visit made by former Israeli prime minister extremist Ariel Sharon to al-Aqsa Mosque.

The visit triggered a popular uprising against Israel where several hundreds of Palestinians were killed and many more were injured because of the Israeli excessive use of force and the live ammunition used against the peaceful demonstrators.

Al-Aqsa Intifada, or the Second Intifada, began after extremist Ariel Sharon, a leader of Israel’s right-wing Likud Party, visited Al-Aqsa Mosque the third holiest shrine of Islam on 28 September 2000.

The visit itself was provocative, especially because Sharon was accompanied by more than one thousand extremist settlers who desecrated the Mosque and committed acts of vandalism there.

Other main causes of the Intifada were the continued Israeli occupation of the Arab territories and the collapse of the Israeli–Palestinian talks at Camp David in July 2000.  Palestinians had expected that the Palestine Liberation Organization’s recognition of Israel would lead to an end of the Israeli occupation and to the establishment of a Palestine state with Jerusalem as its capital.  However, in the 1990s the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank and Gaza remarkably increased to 200,000, for which Israel confiscated more Palestinian land for the settlements.  Israel also continued its repressive policy, especially with regard to demolishing homes, uprooting and burning olive and fruit trees as a form of collective punishment for the Palestinians.

Nineteen year later, the Palestinians believe that the intifada is still ongoing as they are ready to sacrifice their lives defending Palestine against the Israeli aggressive and expansionist measures. The racist measures of confiscating Palestinian lands by force and constructing settlements will increase the determination of the Palestinians to press ahead with their struggle until the achievement of their inalienable rights to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The resistance axis will remain adamantly adherent to its sublime principles , especially liberating all the occupied Arab territories including the occupied Jerusalem and Golan.

Despite all the political gifts given by Trump to Netanyahu since taking office in 2017, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s “capital” and moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city as well as cutting aid to the Palestinians and closing the Palestine Liberation Organization’s office in Washington, the Palestinians, supported by the resistance axis, still believe that  resistance is the only means to liberate the occupied Arab territories and  protect Jerusalem against Israeli violations. Palestinians are determined to defend Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque by all means and at all costs.

Israel’s violations and its use of excessive force against peaceful protesters won’t dissuade the Palestinians from confronting Israeli heinous crimes, because they believe that the intifada is still alive in their hearts and minds and they will continue to defend their rights.

KH.Q