The Old Struggle and Betrayal

by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem

Some object to the treason columns written by certain Palestinians, arguing that they struggled for Palestine, that they were imprisoned for long years, that they endured the harshest suffering in the cause of liberation, and that it is not permissible to now apply the label of treason to them — for that, were it to happen, would diminish what they accomplished in years past.

This is precisely why it is necessary to clarify that the standards of national treason are not set according to personal whims, but according to clear national convictions, and according to the principles and foundations of the work of liberation and of recovering the fixed national rights of the Palestinian people. And if these foundations come into conflict with the wishes of a person, or of several persons, it is not the foundations that get replaced — rather, it is the persons whose conduct and behavior conflict with them who are held to account.

The old strugglers themselves laid down foundations we still rely on today when judging whether a given act constitutes treason or not. They wrote them down for us, and filled the world with their shouting, declaring that:

Recognizing Israel is high treason;

Accepting self-rule is high treason;

Dealing with Israel on security or military matters is high treason;

Communicating with the enemy, whether directly or through indirect channels, is high treason;

Espionage is high treason;

Normalization is high treason;

Bearing arms with the enemy’s approval is high treason;

Smiling in the enemy’s face is treason;

So what, then, do you make of the following:

Security cooperation with Israel;

Pursuing Palestinians in defense of Israeli security;

Pursuing weapons prepared to confront the Zionists, and prosecuting whoever carries them, at the Authority’s hands, on civil charges;

Carrying a VIP card issued by Israel;

…on a regular basis, including testimonies from Palestinian detainees held by the Authority’s security apparatuses;

Civil cooperation with Israel across various fields;

Attending the Herzliya Conference;

Scientific and cultural cooperation with the Zionists;

Ministries cooperating with the Israelis in one way or another;

Accepting Israel’s conditions when drafting school curricula.

The list goes on and on.

And so, dear objector, you are a traitor. You were once a struggler, and your old struggle grants you no right to be a traitor now, and it grants you no certificate of absolution. Had you truly been a conscious, genuine struggler, you would not be doing what you are doing now; you would not have been swept away by the current of treason. You are a traitor now, and no longer a struggler.

So stop where you stand — Palestine must be dearer to you than your own soul. Cast off the garment of treason and return to the ranks of your people. And do not fear for your children’s livelihood; God is the Provider. You may be trying to deceive yourself, imagining that what you do is a national duty; but before these words provoke you, examine yourself, and ask your spouse, your children, your father, your mother, your friends, the people of your clan, and your fellow countrymen. Right now you are hearing from me what people say about you — because you never hear it directly from them.

Israel’s lifespan is very short, and you must reckon for yourself how you will feel on the day we raise our flags over Mount Carmel and on the shores of Jaffa. So rise up, and abandon your rotten post, and return to where your national breath can beat once more with its old pulse.

Source: Translated from the original Arabic, “النضال القديم والخيانة” by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem.