“Only the Palestinian people has the right to self-determination in Palestine,” declares Fatah
Headline: “National and Arab figures”
“The Fatah Movement Central Committee said that only the Palestinian people has the right to self-determination in the land of the ancestors, Palestine. It noted that the racist Jewish Nation-State Law (see note below -Ed.) and the entire Zionist narrative will not change the historical truth: Palestine is the land of the Palestinian people.
In a statement yesterday [May 15, 2021] for Nakba Day (see note below -Ed.), the Central Committee added that the Palestinian refugees’ right of return is a legitimate right guaranteed by international law and humanitarian law, and that it is a sacred right in the eyes of all the Palestinian people. It emphasized that the national struggle will continue with the same determination and the same motivation until our people achieves its legitimate national rights, and foremost among them the right of return, the right to self-determination, and the establishment of the independent Palestinian state whose capital is Jerusalem…
The Central Committee called on the masses of our people to crowd the lines even more and to maintain the national unity that has been achieved by the magnificent Jerusalem intifada (refers to violent Arab riots and Hamas rockets; see note below -Ed.). It emphasized that only through unity is it possible to preserve the achievements…
Fatah said that through its strong willpower, the Palestinian people has succeeded in changing the equation of the struggle, and that the old techniques of settling this conflict are no longer acceptable. It added that a renewal of the peace process will start with recognition of the State of Palestine’s national independence and recognition of all the national rights, foremost among them the right of return.
Fatah committed before the masses of our people to continue in the struggle on the path of the pure-hearted Martyrs and our heroic prisoners.”
Jewish Nation-State Law – law passed by the Israeli Parliament on July 19, 2018, which codifies in Israel's Basic Law that Israel is the home of the Jewish nation with Jerusalem its capital, and the Hebrew calendar its official calendar. It establishes Hebrew as the sole official language and grants Arabic a special status, and it recognizes Jewish and Israeli holidays, memorial days, and the Jewish Sabbath as national holidays and days of rest - while guaranteeing the right of all Israeli citizens and residents to celebrate their holidays and days of rest. The law, which passed with 62 in favor, 55 against, and 2 abstentions, has sparked controversy within Israeli society.
Nakba Day - Palestinians commemorate Nakba Day on May 15, the day after the establishment of Israel. On May 15, 1948, combined forces from Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq joined local Arab forces in an attempt to eradicate the newly established State of Israel. The Nakba (Arabic = catastrophe) refers to the establishment of Israel, and the subsequent defeat in the war, including the killing and displacement of Arab civilians that occurred during the war.
Fatah/Hamas Riot and Rocket War 2021 – On April 30, 2021, facing certain electoral defeat, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas cancelled the first PA elections scheduled in 15 years. Hamas, which expected to win the elections, denounced it as a “coup.” In need of a conflict to divert public discontent, Abbas artificially generated a crisis over Jerusalem. His Fatah party called for "raising the level of confrontation,” and Abbas' spokesman told Palestinians "the battle of all battles is here.” Jerusalem Arabs responded by attacking Jews with rocks and Molotov cocktails. Hamas, Abbas' political rival, could not allow Abbas to lead the battle, so on May 10, 2021, Hamas launched rocket barrages targeting Israeli population centers including Jerusalem. Over the next 11 days, Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired over 4,300 rockets into southern and central Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing 9 Israelis and 3 foreign nationals, and wounding hundreds. In response, Israel launched Operation Guardian of the Walls to target Hamas terror leaders and terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Already in mid-April, a planned eviction of some Palestinian families illegally living in Jewish-owned buildings in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem had led to clashes between Palestinian residents and Israeli police. This dispute provided Palestinians with a pretext for violent rioting. Adding to the crisis, Israeli Arabs started rioting throughout Israel, especially in cities with a mixed Jewish and Arab population. Two Jews were murdered and many were wounded. According to Walla, an independent Israeli news site, 10 synagogues were wholly or partly burned down; fires were set in 112 Jewish homes and 1 Arab home mistaken for a Jewish home; 386 Jewish homes were plundered and 673 were damaged; 849 cars were set ablaze; and there were 5,018 rock-throwing attacks. In response, Jews started attacking Arabs and their properties as well, but on a much smaller scale. No mosques were burned; 13 Arab homes were damaged; 13 Arab-owned cars were burned; and there were 41 rock-throwing attacks by Jews. [Walla, May 16, 2021] The fighting between Israel and Hamas ended with a ceasefire on May 21, 2021.