Natsheh: Jerusalem Must Remain the Center of the Conflict and the Core of Political Decision-Making in the Upcoming Phase

SadaNews - Major General Bilal Natsheh, Secretary-General of the National People’s Conference for Jerusalem, stated that the holy city is facing a systematic project to Judaize it, targeting the people, the place, and identity. This necessitates a strategic vision based on: enhancing the steadfastness of Jerusalemites materially, politically, and legally, protecting the Arab and Islamic identity of the city, cementing the Palestinian demographic presence against uprooting policies, internationalizing the issue of Jerusalem, and elevating it to international forums more effectively. He emphasized that the current phase "witnesses an unprecedented uprooting of the Jerusalemite citizen from their city," making steadfastness a top national priority.

Regarding the role of the "Fatah" movement and the eighth conference in strengthening the steadfastness of Jerusalemites, Natsheh emphasized in his press statements that the Fatah movement represents the backbone of the Palestinian national project, and the eighth conference constitutes a pivotal station and an opportunity to politically and organizationally renew the movement, rebuild trust with the Palestinian street, inject young leadership, preserve historical experience, conduct a comprehensive review of the organizational experience, enhance internal unity, end the division, and formulate a clear political vision to face the occupation. He asserted that the success of the conference will send a message that the movement "is capable of renewing itself and continuing its historical role," especially in protecting Jerusalem and Jerusalemites and confronting the dangers of Judaization and Israelisation of the land and people simultaneously.

On the relationship with Jerusalem, Natsheh stated in his remarks that the holy city must remain the center of the conflict and the core of political decision-making, and any resurgence of the movement must begin with supporting the steadfastness of the city and confronting changes in the demographic situation and destruction and settlement policies. He described the demographic situation as the most dangerous due to the expansion of settlements, the construction of thousands of housing units, the policy of demolishing homes, forced displacement, and seizing properties within the Old City, noting that the occupation seeks to change the demographic composition in favor of settlers and impose a new demographic reality that prevents any future political solution.
 
Regarding education, curricula, and school closures in Jerusalem, Natsheh sees education in Jerusalem as a fundamental confrontation space by targeting Palestinian curricula and attempting to impose alternative curricula while pressuring Palestinian schools and closing some, with funding tied to acceptance of the Israeli narrative. He affirmed that preserving national curricula is a safeguard for Palestinian identity and that education represents the first line of defense against Judaization.
 
Concerning the economic and commercial situation in Jerusalem, Natsheh pointed out that the Jerusalem economy suffers from exorbitant taxes, arbitrary Israeli measures, the closure or restriction of commercial institutions, and weak investment due to the restrictions imposed by the occupying authorities. He explained that his future vision includes supporting small and medium projects, enhancing the resistant local economy, and linking the Jerusalem economy with the Palestinian and Arab depth.
 
Regarding the continued settlement aggression against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the occupying forces, the Secretary-General of the National People’s Conference for Jerusalem stated that there are attempts to impose a new religious reality in the mosque through temporal and spatial division, warning of dragging Palestinians into unequal confrontations and exploiting incursions to change the existing situation in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is under Hashemite guardianship.

Regarding the tourism situation, Natsheh sees that the occupation seeks to reshape the tourism narrative of Jerusalem while marginalizing the Arab and Islamic character in tourism routes. He called for confronting this by enhancing external tourism and from Palestinians in the interior to the Old City, Jerusalem, and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and protecting historical landmarks from Judaization and supporting the Palestinian narrative globally.

Natsheh believes that the advancement of Jerusalem requires popular steadfastness, national unity, renewing the Fatah movement, activating its leadership and historical role in the city, and providing economic support to traders and educational institutions capable of confronting the threat of curriculum Judaization and addressing Judaization politically and internationally.

He affirmed that the upcoming phase requires: a unified national leadership, a clear political project, and restoring Jerusalem's status as the central axis of the conflict with the occupation.