In Jenin, Palestinians Resist Against Israeli Helicopters And Drones

This has historically meant the inevitability of resistance. Palestinians, faced with aggression, encroachment and expulsion from their land are left with no choice but to resist against Israel. After years of failed promises, they are compelled to safeguard their homes, their heritage and their future.

But what this will result in is a fight between the relentless encroachment of the settler-colonial state, its settlers and the defensive resistance of the indigenous population. The scale and intensity of this fight may soon reach an unprecedented point, leading to severe consequences.

This most recent assault in the West Bank provides a crucial insight into Israel’s intentions. The area witnessed relative calm after the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, and the subsequent political schism in 2007. However, the calm came at a steep price.

The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security forces, in coordination with Israel, have ensured a modicum of stability in the region. But that stability has come at the cost of political suppression and the stifling of Palestinian resistance against Israel. The PA champions policies of security coordination with Israel that they claim will pave the path to Palestinian statehood and independence, while aligning with the expectations of the international community.

In the undercurrent of the PA’s policies of collaboration, Israel has continued its oppressive operations — expanding settlements, imposing a harsh blockade on Gaza, and persistently undermining the possibility of peaceful resolution. At the same time, Israeli settlers have grown more aggressive, and the Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, have encouraged them, further blurring the line between the state and the settler movement.

Amidst all this, the PA — and many hopeful international observers — have clung to their dwindling hope of a two-state solution, which is now more unrealistic than ever. Meanwhile, the rest of the Palestinian people have moved forward without them, taking action to resist their oppression.

Palestinians frequently rise in protest — in response to assaults like the one we saw last week, to settler violence, and to persistent state violence — demonstrating their determination to challenge the Israeli state.

The PA, perceived as weak and fragmented, has not been able to convince its people that diplomacy can yield statehood. And now, PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ health is in decline and there’s a looming leadership vacuum that raises concerns. Potential successors lack both experience and popular support.

While the fate of the PA remains uncertain, the rising defiance on Palestinian streets paints a clearer picture of the future, as exemplified by recent events in Jenin: a new generation of Palestinians, disillusioned by the PA and witnessing the growing Israeli presence, are rising in anger and frustration against the bleak future that awaits them. This generation’s determination to fight back signals a shifting dynamic in this inevitable clash between natives and settlers.

Despite Israel suggesting the grim future strategy of more expulsion, Palestinians are still rising up against all odds, uniting across physical and political boundaries, cognizant that their survival hangs in the balance. This fight for their existence in the face of looming displacement is a reality they are confronting with resolute determination. Predicting the outcome of this struggle is challenging, but their readiness to defend themselves is unflinching.

This raises a critical question for the international community: how much longer will it remain a passive spectator to the plight of the Palestinians? The world must answer this question urgently, as the stakes continue to escalate in alarming ways.