By Aida Najjar
Netanyahu’s zealous statements regarding his intention to annex land from the Jordan Valley and the West Bank did not come as a surprise to many. It was, however, a source of sadness and sorrow as the Palestinians and Arabs are increasingly disregarded while the occupation continues to swallow up what is left of Palestine and realises its dream of doing as it pleases with Arab land. It is not strange for Netanyahu and his colonial policies to continue messing with the Palestinian and Arab geography and history as he pleases. Netanyahu seems unafraid of the future, given the statements he is making, which coincide with the elections, but in fact, these same statements actually indicate a hidden fear of the present and the future.
Netanyahu is acting in accordance with the Zionist strategy, put into place since the first Zionist congress in Basel in 1897 to achieve the establishment of a national homeland and implement their myths. Since his presidency and party leadership, his policies have been committed to capturing the biggest area possible of Palestinian geography and bringing the world’s Jews to Palestine. Since then, they have tried to change history and geography and steal more of the land they have been seizing since 1948. This has become clear and they have never stopped doing so.
The construction and expansion of settlements, as well as the construction of Separation Wall and continued methods of provocation by settlers entering the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, as well as the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, are proof of this. They even have clear intentions of falsifying history by continuing to tamper with the religious, cultural and architectural landmarks that are of a Palestinian and Arab nature. Such actions reveal and confirm their intentions to demolish Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to build the alleged Temple, or demolish houses in Silwan adjacent to the walls of Jerusalem in order to establish the City of David, which has been created by their myths. They also destroy Palestinian cities and villages for fear of their history and rights haunting them.
Today, the coloniser Netanyahu brazenly intends to annex 1,622 square kilometres, or 28 per cent of the West Bank, to expand stolen land to build the heinous settlements. Before the eyes of the world, they are building settlements for strangers to take the homes and land of the Palestinian people, whose geography and history have been present for thousands of years.
Israel has never lost its dreams of stealing more land, as well as stealing the heritage and culture it tries so hard to erase, such as food, clothing and social life, education, culture, customs, traditions and a life that was full and advanced, recorded by history.
Netanyahu’s recent intentions and provocative statements that are both illegal and inhumane are being made both for personal and strategic gains in order to return to the leadership. It is also out of fear of the dark prison he will be thrown into if he fails, after more of his fraud and deception has been revealed. Netanyahu is desperate to cover his dirty acts and his false opportunistic policy, which he is accustomed to, as well as his friend Trump, who is trying to help him to return to power, will not benefit him. Unfortunately, Netanyahu’s actions, as well as his racist policies aimed at the establishment of a national Israeli state, are preventing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on its historic and indigenous land, which Palestinians continue to work to establish, no matter how long it takes.
What causes our hearts to grieve is the fact that all of this has became known to the Arabs, who, in the past, believed in the Palestinian right to their land and homeland. However, some have had a change of heart and the Palestinian cause has become marginalised. Some are even trying to satisfy and befriend the occupation and the US as they watch the farce and suffering of the Palestinians in all of the occupied territories. This threatens the security of the Arabs in the region.
Netanyahu’s statements, whether he succeeds or fails, are not surprising. What is surprising and shameful is that some have denied the history and geography of Palestine, and they continue to do so, despite the steadfastness of the Palestinians and their sacrifices to defend their stolen land. The Palestinians still throw rocks at the enemy and their children are killed or detained in prisons with those fighting for their right to return to a beautiful free homeland. Condemnation should not be directed at Netanyahu’s statements, but to this state of misguidance experienced by some Arabs in the region. They remain silent before the world, watching the “deal of the century” and farce of the year in the process of implementation.
This article first appeared in Arabic in Addustour on 18 September 2019