The Shameful Situation in the West Bank

by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem

The Arab homeland and the Islamic world pour out into huge, furious mass demonstrations, and people in countries around the world take to the streets in protest marches denouncing the Zionist aggression against Gaza, while the West Bank stands timid and confused, its eyes lowered in humiliation before the American high commissioner Keith Dayton. The world protests, roaring with anger and indignation at Israel, while the West Bank takes refuge in a degrading silence, or tries to hide behind modest, mournful demonstrations that lack the vigor and pride of the Palestinian people.

For the first time in Palestine’s history, the Palestinian people are subjected to a savage, barbaric assault, while part of the people collapses before the will of Dayton and those in the Palestinian Authority and its security apparatus who take his orders. Palestinians everywhere came out to participate, carrying banners and flags — except in the West Bank, which moves timidly and cautiously, as if a black bird were circling over the heads of its sons. Only a few small marches came out, led by people who recognize Israel, some of whom coordinate security matters with Israel.

What is most chilling is that the largest Palestinian demonstration was in the land occupied in ‘48, while the smallest demonstration was in Nablus, the largest city of the West Bank governed by the Palestinian Authority. The Sakhnin demonstration went out defying the Zionists, while the Palestinian security forces surrounded the Nablus demonstration from the north and the south, from below and above, and from every side. So is Israel more protective of the freedom of the Palestinian people than the Ramallah authority?

As with the great event itself, and with our people’s tragedy in Gaza, the Palestinian people react wherever they are found — yet it is unable to express itself. The reason is that there are terrified men among Dayton’s associates in Ramallah who fear their own people, who fear the gathering and movement of the people, who fear their feelings and emotions, and so they unleash their security apparatus to spread terror in people’s hearts and prevent them from leading the world toward avenging Gaza. There is confidence that the overwhelming majority of the men in the security apparatus are not content with this, but they have found themselves compelled.

The Palestinian people are a proud, forward-charging people; they have not softened before the blows of their enemies and have remained steadfast throughout the years. So will they remain apprehensive, afraid of Dayton and Dayton’s henchmen? This people has a great history, and I do not believe that this history will bow before invading tyrants who use money to bring people to their knees and silence their voices. We, the Palestinian people in the West Bank, must shake off what the years have piled upon us of worries and submission, and rise up in revolt for ourselves and for the whole Palestinian people.

The situation in the West Bank is shameful, a disgrace upon the Palestinian people, and it is the duty of the honorable among the people to put an end to it

Source: Translated from the original Arabic, “الوضع المخجل في الضفة الغربية” by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem.