“Expand the scope” of Arab violence beyond Jerusalem, demands PA official
Official PA TV, special broadcast on violent Arab riots in Jerusalem
Chairman of the PA-funded Prisoners’ Club Qadura Fares: “The Palestinian people everywhere needs the battle in the Sheikh Jarrah [neighborhood of Jerusalem] (refers to riots in response to planned eviction of Arabs illegally living in properties owned by Jews who were expelled in the 1948 Israeli War of Independence -Ed.) to not remain the battle of Sheikh Jarrah, and the battle in Jerusalem must not remain the battle of the Jerusalem residents alone. From here, the Palestinian national movement is being called on now more than ever in the past to consolidate a path of struggle based on the idea of popular resistance (i.e., term used by Palestinians, which also refers to the use of violence and terror), and to expand its scope so that the occupation will be unable to isolate a group of families in Sheikh Jarrah, or isolate this village, or this [refugee] camp, or this city, and the like. The more the scope of the popular resistance expands, the more the cost to the occupation increases- If we succeed in strengthening the state of the popular resistance and consolidating it in every single district, in the end the occupation will completely change its calculations…
First of all, [we must] expand the territory of the confrontation with the occupation so that the occupation will not choose the site of its battle. Therefore, if the battle will be in Sheikh Jarrah, it is known that [the occupation] brings 500 police officers, carries out a number of additional actions of preparation, and they take control. And if the territory of the confrontation expands- and we have sufficient justifications and reasons; it is true that what is happening in Jerusalem is the greatest justification, and this could cause a rebellion, but in every piece of territory in the entire land of Palestine there are reasons connected to the residents there [for which] they will rise up (the verb “rise up” comes from the same root as “intifada” -Ed.), come out, and confront the occupation. In order to organize this and give it collective significance, the national movement is being called on as soon as possible to formulate viewpoints that we will unite around. We will unite in organizing them, we will lead them, and in the end creating this environment and this climate will certainly lead the Israeli political, security, and military institution to change its calculations…
We are monitoring the conduct of the Israeli border police [at the Al-Aqsa Mosque] – in other words, what brought you to this site? In other words, Palestinian residents are carrying out religious ceremonies. What is the security problem and what are the consequences of marking a religious event? They know that this has no consequences. But they have an inferiority complex. They know that for dozens of years they have been excavating under the Al-Aqsa Mosque and searching for something that will connect them historically to this site. In the end, the result is: Nothing (sic., an abundance of archaeological evidence proving the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount has been found)…
The battle for Jerusalem began a while ago, and we as Palestinians must be at the appropriate level for the battle of Jerusalem. In other words, yes, we bless the people who are expressing solidarity with Sheikh Jarrah, and we bless the people of Jerusalem for their positions. But I think that they are looking at us with great hope that we will be part of their battle in a practical manner, on the ground. In another few days, on the 28th of the [Muslim fasting] month of Ramadan (i.e., Jerusalem Day, May 10, 2021), there will be the greatest break-in that forces are preparing for-”
Official PA TV host: “Yes, and there is a call for this.”
Qadura Fares: “Okay, we know that it will be on the 28th of Ramadan. Therefore, I call on all the forces and all the factions, and particularly the branch secretaries, the Fatah Shabiba [Youth Movement], to start in all districts of the homeland in coordination together with all the working forces of the society, with the communal institutions, with the political parties, with the forces – let us be [ready] on the night before Qadr Night (i.e., the night when the Quran was received according to Islam), before the [Israeli] break-in. We are directing a message first of all to our Palestinian people in Jerusalem: You are not alone. And also to the world: The continuation of these systematic crimes under different headlines and slogans that are all lies is liable to blow up the situation here. Perhaps this will bring international pressure on the occupation government and force it to implement a different kind of policy. The world needs to accept that the battle for Jerusalem is a battle of all the Palestinians first of all, and secondly a battle of all the Palestinians and all the Arabs.”
[Official PA TV, May 2, 2021]