Al-Natshe: Jerusalem must remain the center of the conflict and the axis of political decision in the upcoming phase

SadaNews - Lieutenant General Bilal Al-Natshe, Secretary-General of the National Popular Conference for Jerusalem, stated that the holy city is facing a systematic project aimed at judaizing the city, targeting the people, the land, and the identity. This necessitates a strategic vision based on: strengthening the resilience of Jerusalemites materially, politically, and legally; protecting the Arab and Islamic identity of the city; affirming the Palestinian demographic presence in the face of uprooting policies; internationalizing the issue of Jerusalem and raising it to international forums more effectively. He emphasized that the current phase "witnesses an unprecedented uprooting of the Jerusalemite citizen from his city," making resilience a top national priority.

Regarding the role of the "Fatah" movement and the eighth conference in strengthening the resilience of Jerusalemites, Al-Natshe stressed in media statements that the Fatah movement represents the backbone of the Palestinian national project. He pointed out that the eighth conference constitutes a pivotal station and an opportunity to renew the movement politically and organizationally, rebuild trust with the Palestinian street, inject new young leadership while maintaining historical expertise, conduct a comprehensive review of the organizational experience, enhance internal unity, end the division, and formulate a clear political vision to confront the occupation. He affirmed 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 its people, and confronting the dangers of judaization and the Israeliization of land and people simultaneously.

Regarding the relationship with Jerusalem, Al-Natshe said in his statements that the holy city must remain the center of conflict and the axis of political decision, adding that any revival of the movement must begin with supporting the resilience of the city and confronting the demographic change and policies of demolition and settlement. He described the demographic situation as the most dangerous, due to the expansion of settlements, the construction of thousands of housing units, the demolition of homes, forced displacement, and the seizure of properties within the old city. He pointed out that the occupation aims to change the demographic composition in favor of the settlers and impose a new demographic reality that prevents any future political solution.
 
Concerning education, curricula, and school closures in Jerusalem, Al-Natshe views education in Jerusalem as a main battlefield by targeting the Palestinian curricula, trying to impose alternative curricula, pressuring Palestinian schools, closing some, and linking funding to acceptance of the Israeli narrative. He asserted that maintaining national curricula is a protection of the Palestinian identity and that education represents the first line of defense in the face of judaization.
 
Regarding the economic and commercial situation in Jerusalem, Al-Natshe indicated that the Jerusalem economy suffers from exorbitant taxes, arbitrary Israeli measures, the closure or restriction of commercial institutions, and weak investment due to the constraints imposed by the occupation authorities. He clarified that his vision for the future includes supporting small and medium enterprises, enhancing the resistant local economy, and linking the Jerusalem economy to the Palestinian and Arab depth.
 
Regarding the ongoing settler aggression against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque with the protection of the occupation forces, the Secretary-General of the National Popular Conference for Jerusalem stated that there are attempts to impose a new religious reality in the mosque through temporal and spatial division, warning against dragging Palestinians into unequal confrontations and exploiting incursions to change the existing situation in the blessed Al-Aqsa, which is under Hashemite guardianship.

On the tourism situation, Al-Natshe believes that the occupation seeks to reshape the tourism narrative of Jerusalem, while the Arab and Islamic character is marginalized in the tourism trails. He called for confronting this by enhancing external tourism and encouraging Palestinians from within to visit the old city and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, protecting historical landmarks from judaization, and supporting the Palestinian narrative globally.

Al-Natshe believes that advancing Jerusalem requires popular resilience, national unity, renewing the Fatah movement, activating its leadership and historical role in the city, and providing economic support for traders and Palestinian educational institutions capable of confronting the danger of judaization of curricula and politically and internationally addressing judaization.

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