By Dr Noman Hanif
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of LCI or its members.
No sooner the agreement on ending the Zionist aggression on Gaza had taken effect in the morning of Friday 21 May, after 11 days of shelling that killed 240 persons, mostly women and children in Gaza, than US President Joe Biden announced that the ceasefire brought “a genuine opportunity to make progress.” Prior to the ceasefire announcement, the White House had determined the US approach in tackling the “causes of escalation” pertinent to the city of al-Quds, the holy sites, the process of Judaization, and the annexation of the Palestinians’ lands, something for which Germany has also called.
In harmony with the US standpoint, and lest the Palestinians should confine their choices to armed struggle, and in order to circumvent the outcome of the battle and the reversal of aggression, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said, “only a political solution will bring sustainable peace and end once and for all the Palestinian-Israeli conflict” (Times of Israel 21/05/2021). The Russian foreign ministry, for its part, said the ceasefire between the Palestinians and Israel was important but insufficient, and direct negotiations needed to be initiated.
Foreign minister of the Palestinian Authority, Riyadh al-Maliki, said “the Authority would take the case of the Zionist entity’s crimes to the International Court of Justice” (Times of Israel 21/05/2021), thus, arguably exploiting the blood of children and women for lowly electoral propaganda and using the sacrifices of the Muslims in Palestine as a bargaining chip in the forthcoming futile negotiations.
This represents, together with the deterrence achieved by the resistance, the international pressure and concentrated media coverage on the Israeli apartheid system, in addition to the Democrats’ endeavor in America to forestall an urgent arms deal to Israel, a big stick policy designed to compel Israeli leaders and Israeli public opinion to accept the solutions proposed by the Biden administration. At the same time, America offers alliance, normalization, and major economic agreements, expected to be
concluded between Israel and the UAE, as a carrot to tempt the Zionist entity to proceed with the peace process.
Hence, America has set about investing in the current realities amidst the divisions between the Zionist leaders and the state of panic in Israeli public opinion due to the blows inflicted by the resistance, exploiting by them by stirring up the stagnant waters of the so called “peace process”, in order to complete the stages of liquidating the “Palestinian issue”. In this context, the Deputy White House press secretary, Andrew Bates, when asked about the impact of Rashida Tlaib’s conversation on Biden’s policy, responded: “The president’s approach is informed by American national security interests, the facts on the ground and his long-standing convictions — not domestic political considerations.” (Washington Post 21/05/2021)
This explains the spurious pressure and impartiality expressed by Western media and by Western standpoints, as well as the US pressure on Netanyahu, while maintaining America’s commitment to the security and survival of Israel. In light of these facts, and to avert the flames of the reckless, naïve and those merely full of emotion and what exists of the challenges from amongst the collaborators and enemies, it is incumbent to state frankly that the most dangerous standpoints facing the “Palestinian issue” today are the standpoints of Khaled Mash ‘al, head of Hamas’s politburo abroad, who heralded in the middle of this month his acceptance to join the PLO, partake in the Authority of the “sacred” security coordination with the Zionist criminals, and his readiness to partake in the decision making, and the standpoint of President Erdoğan who was quoted as saying that “at this point, we believe there’s a need for a separate arrangement on Jerusalem. To achieve lasting peace and tranquility in Jerusalem, which contains the indispensable religious symbols of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, everyone must make sacrifices,” adding that “In today’s circumstances, it would be the most correct and consistent course of action for Jerusalem to be administered by a commission of representatives from the three faiths. Otherwise, it doesn’t appear it will be easily possible to achieve lasting peace in this ancient city” (Hurriyet Daily 18/05/2021).
For this is in line with the American plan to internationalize Jerusalem, bring it under her control and steal it from the Muslims. All the while Erdogan has no problem with the strategic treaty between Turkey and Israel or the fact that he did not bat an eyelid when it came to using Turkish troops to
implement America’s plans by inserting them into Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan to thwart Russian and European policies and plans affecting America. Yet, he calls for the giving up of the land blessed by Allah in the Quran, the first Qiblah for the Muslims, the place of Miraj of our beloved Prophet (saw), the apple in the eye of Umar bin Al –Khattab who first conquered it for the Muslims, and the place for which Salahudine al- Ayubi united the Muslim world and fought to capture from the Christians with the blood of martyrs.
The precariousness of this issue lies in the fact that both Erdogan and Hamas enjoy a widespread respect and admiration from Muslims, and in the fact that they project themselves as the largest representatives from the religious and patriotic dimensions, and that they present their vision in its quality as an Islamic and realistic one, which would smooth the path towards passing the submissive solutions to liquidate the issue of Palestine at the hands of its own people. It would have been more befitting of them and of the Muslim leaders in their various positions, who enjoy the support of the majority of the Ummah, to express the voice of the Ummah. They should have banked on their Deen, Ummah and heroes, the chivalrous knights in Gaza, Palestine and throughout Muslims’ lands, rather than the US and her normalizing collaborators, and the colluding international community and its institutions.
The end of this round of the Zionist aggression with its military defeat does not mean the end of the war, and complete victory will not be achieved by merely repelling the aggression and thwarting its aims, but by removing the occupation and wiping it out of existence. The US and the criminal entity have resumed the political war directly and by proxy via their collaborating surrogates in Egypt and Qatar who hosts the leaders of the resistance to contain them and control their progress and options, and via the Authority of the “sacred” security coordination, before the blood of the martyrs has even dried, and before the rubble has been lifted.
Muslims ought to realize that the forthcoming battle is a battle of awareness in the first instance, which necessitates thwarting the political conspiracies, and fortifying the Ummah’s immunity and doctrinal
fortresses against the gatekeepers of the thrones and the watchdogs of Western interests in the Muslims’ lands, especially the charlatan sheikhs who lurk around the regimes to justify their treason, and the colonialist Atlantic coastguards from among the partisan militias who earn their living through illicit trading in their religion and through political debauchery, and by deriving their solutions from questionable sources.
The Muslims and the people of Palestine should preserve the Islamic character of the issue, because had the issue not been Islamic with support throughout the Islamic world, the Zionists would have singled out the Palestinians and uprooted them from their homes. As this savage round of Zionist aggression against people in Palestine has stopped, with the bravery of the resistance soldiers sending a message marked with blood and gunpowder to the usurping entity and its collaborators stipulating that its wars are no longer hunting trips, like its wars with the stables of the foundling Arab rulers, and that it would have to pay a heavy price if it were to dare repeat its aggression against the Muslims, and as the response of the men of the resistance has muzzled their covetous designs, curbed their ghoulish behavior, and restored the respect and dignity of the Muslims, we pray to Allah the Almighty to reward the sacrifices of those who have been true to their pledge to Allah, to admit their martyrs to Jannah, heal their wounds, and cloak them with the attire of dignity and glory in this life and the hereafter, to make the goodness run through their hands, and heal the hearts of the believers.
Dear brothers and sisters, beware of joining the PLO, which America established through Abdul Nasser to liquidate the issue of the Muslims in Palestine. And beware of partaking in the authority of the “sacred” security coordination with the usurping entity and effectuating the so-called “two-state solution” over the bodies of the martyrs and the shreds of women and children. Those who wish to take part in the feast of the enemies and their surrogates, let them declare they are in their camps and not part of the brave soldiers whose fingers are on their triggers, and not attribute their squandering of the land and blood of the martyrs to Islam under the guise of compulsion, because the inability of the people of Palestine to achieve liberation is excusable from an Islamic perspective, whereas rejecting the surrender of land in the absence of a pressing coercion leading to death and whose reality has not materialized yet is within one’s ability and is inexcusable.
Hence, do not be dragged into political deception and do not be tempted by Qatari and Gulf cash. Do not be duped by the spurious promises of Zionists and their collaborators, lest you should plunge into the quagmire of treason and betray Allah and His Messenger, the blood of the martyrs, and the innocent women and children. Beware of being led astray by the Muslims’ rulers and the sheikhs of religious subcontracts who issue their fatwas under the guise of interests, even if they shrouded them with the cloak of the Ka’aba. Those who succumb to the will of the “international community” and refer to its arbitration, let them declare that they are part of this rotten community and do not belong to the Ummah of Islam and her roots, history, and doctrinal and legislative heritage, which must at all times be her only reference point.
As for the solution, it is the concern of the Islamic ummah and not just the people of Palestine; and the path towards the legitimate and fruitful liberation will only pass over the thrones of the collaborating traitorous regimes, when this magnificent Ummah arises and gives her leadership to a group of her sincere men. So let the Muslims embrace the causes of these, as victory will only come from Allah the Almighty. Those who, when the people told them: “Your enemies have mustered a great force against you: fear them,” grew more firm in their Iman and replied: “Allah’s help is all-sufficient for us. He is the best protector.” [Aal-Imran-173]