The Americans lied, even if they believed... and they would not believe

A state of eruption that could explode at any moment in the West Bank, especially since the blessed month of Ramadan is at the door, as a result of the continued killings carried out by the occupation army daily against the Palestinians, devouring the land and the disturbances of daily life, and the threats of settlers to storm Al-Aqsa and prepare for more attacks on the occasion of their religious holidays.

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar is aware of this fact, and he expressed his concerns about the situation in the West Bank and visited Washington at the beginning of the week to discuss all possibilities. As a result of these fears, the Israeli security services decided, for the first time in five years, not to impose closures on the West Bank and Gaza on Jewish holidays.

And what also reflects the heat and seriousness of the situation, Israeli Minister of Internal Security Omer Bar-Lev requested a meeting with President Abu Mazen, to discuss how to raise the level of security coordination ahead of the month of Ramadan, according to Israeli media allegations, amid fears of a popular uprising exploding again during the holy month, similar to the gift of dignity in May The past, which led to the Sword of Jerusalem war on Gaza, which lasted eleven days, and the most dangerous outbreak of confrontations between Jews and Arabs, within the mixed Palestinian cities in the 1948 areas, such as Lod, Ramle, Acre, Jaffa and Haifa. Israel considered the confrontations a dangerous event and a strategic threat.

The situation has increased sensitivity this year, of course, the war in Ukraine, which exposed the Western regimes, and revealed their falsity by taking a “one-man stand” to support the armed Ukrainian “resistance”, while the Palestinians are forbidden to resist occupation and settlement, even with stones and not Ukrainian Molotov cocktails. Israel, with Washington behind it, is working to avoid this inevitable confrontation, if the situation remains as it is. These fears also reflect the announcement of an upcoming visit by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Israel and Ramallah, to avoid the big explosion that will put Washington’s hypocrisy in the eye of the storm. And comparing its position is not on the part of the Palestinians, as it is clear to them, but rather in the United States, whose youth have begun to open up to the Palestinian cause, and learn about the injustice practiced by the administration of his country, and compare its reactions and sympathy with the Ukrainians, with the killings practiced by Israel against the Palestinians. It is not known whether Blinken will carry with him a package of temptations for the Palestinians, such as reopening the consulate, or reopening the PLO office in Washington, as promised. In the context, too, comes the rare speech of the American ambassador to Israel, Tom Naides, before the "Peace Now Movement" conference in Tel Aviv, which was full of words that warmed the hearts of the Palestinians, but not accompanied by actions. Naides only pre-empted any development of events with a sharp and unusual message to the government of Naftali Bennett, describing settlement policies in the Palestinian territories as “stupid” and declaring that he is working hard to stop them. However, he admitted, in his speech, the impossibility of stopping all settlement construction, adding, "We cannot allow the continuation of stupid things that obstruct a peaceful settlement within the two-state solution." He said that he sees a vital necessity in preventing the establishment of huge settlement projects, such as the "E-1" project, which aims to surround the Palestinian towns surrounding Jerusalem and prevent the transformation of East Jerusalem into the capital of the Palestinian state, and aims to cut off the geographical contiguity of the Palestinian state, and thus prevent the two-state solution. "I'm a little bit insistent about this, I'm angry," he said. You (and the unusual talk is directed at both Israelis and Palestinians) see that these settlement projects ignite the land under you, whether in the West Bank or in East Jerusalem.” Naides stressed that he fought the project to build 3,500 housing units in the Ma'ale Adumim settlement (north of Jerusalem), which is known to be part of the E1 project. He described it as a "tragic project" because it means eliminating the opportunity to turn East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state. He said, gratifying the hearts of the Palestinians: “Yes, capital. Of course, I admit that Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel.

The situation is inflamed, Ramadan is at the door, and the settlers’ threats of further incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and the continuation of the measures taken by the occupation authorities, may ignite the land, and we hope that

It is noteworthy that this is the first time that a US official has spoken with such clarity about a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Of course, as we listen to his words, we must not forget the proverb that says, “The narration, especially the American, is not subject to customs.”

The ambassador tried to justify his administration’s failure to implement its electoral pledges to return the consulate to East Jerusalem. He said: “It is clear that the Biden administration wants to reopen it, but Israel is fiercely opposed to that and the Palestinians are demanding that sharply, and both of them exaggerate the issue of this magnitude. They gave him more than his size.” In doing so, he implicitly acknowledges that the decision to return the consulate to its headquarters in East Jerusalem is in the hands of the occupying power, not Washington. The American ambassador frustrated any Palestinian hopes and wishes for the holding of the international peace conference, which President Abu Mazen calls for expressing his regret. The current circumstances do not allow the American administration to do anything to move the negotiations forward until the middle of next year. “I would be lying if I said we have a peace plan that we can start pushing,” he said. If you ask me about the possibility of doing something to move it in the future, I say: Yes, it is possible. But my concern today is to maintain conditions that will enable a return to negotiations in the future, on the basis of the two-state solution. Because the alternative to that is the one-state solution. This is a disaster for everyone.” The ambassador was right in what he said: “Economic support is important, but its value disappears without progress towards a two-state solution. The Israelis have to understand that you cannot buy the Palestinians with money.”

In short, the situation is inflamed and explosive, Ramadan is on the doorstep, and the settlers' threats of further incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and provocations, and the continuation of the occupation authorities' measures to Judaize Jerusalem, may ignite the land, and we hope so. Even the economic solution no longer works, after many years of suffering, during which they heard only calls for calm and received only narcotic injections. You left Jerusalem alone and only played the role of a counter to the settlers who stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque daily (100 90 80 50 etc.). The visits, which have become an obligation for Jewish schoolchildren, are carried out by enacting a law in the Knesset that requires them to visit the “alleged temple” on two shifts, morning and evening. These are steps that pave the way for the implementation of the Judaization scheme to divide Al-Aqsa spatially as well as temporally, and we will not wait long.

Just as a reminder, the procedures in Al-Aqsa did not start yesterday, but go back to the second day of the fall of Jerusalem in a war and the demolition of the Maghribi Quarter, and they changed its name to the Jewish Quarter in the Old City. Talking about Jerusalem is not only for its religious symbolism, despite its importance, but also for its national status, as it has become the title and symbol of the Palestinian cause. It's time for us to be ashamed of ourselves when we see Al-Aqsa leaking from our hands, and we have no trick but to knock on others' doors for help without any benefit. Begging is no longer useful and there are no more deaf ears, and according to the poet, I called if I could hear alive, but there is no life for whomever you call.

The conditions are very favorable, and our people will not accept that the situation remains as it is, there are no political solutions or an improvement in living conditions, and the only continuing situation is the killing of our youth and the theft of more land, and you are powerless. Insufficiency is enough and patience has limits.

Palestinian writer from the Al-Quds Al-Arabi family