Netsha: Jerusalem Must Remain the Center of Conflict and the Axis of Political Decision in the Coming Phase

SadaNews - Major General Bilan Netsha, 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 place, and the identity, which requires a strategic vision based on: enhancing the resilience of Jerusalemites materially, politically, and legally, protecting the Arabic and Islamic identity of the city, and consolidating the Palestinian demographic presence in the face of policies of uprooting, internationalizing the issue of Jerusalem, and elevating it to international forums more effectively, emphasizing that the current phase is witnessing an unprecedented uprooting of Jerusalemite citizens from their city, making resilience a top national priority.

Regarding the role of the "Fatah" movement and the eighth conference in enhancing the resilience of the Jerusalemites, Netsha emphasized in his press statements that the Fatah movement represents the backbone of the Palestinian national project, and that the eighth conference is a pivotal moment and an opportunity to renew the movement politically and organizationally, rebuild trust with the Palestinian street, inject young leadership while maintaining historical experience, conduct a comprehensive review of the organizational experience, strengthen internal unity, end division, and formulate a clear political vision to confront 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 facing the threat of judaization and Israelization of land and people simultaneously.

Regarding the relationship with Jerusalem, Netsha stated in his remarks that the holy city must remain the center of conflict and the axis of political decision, and that any revival of the movement must begin with supporting the resilience of the city and confronting demographic changes and demolition and settlement policies, describing the demographic situation as the most dangerous due to the expansion of settlements, the construction of thousands of housing units, the policy of home demolition, forcible displacement, and the seizure of properties within the Old City, noting that the occupation seeks to change the demographic structure in favor of settlers and impose a new demographic reality that prevents any future political solution.

Regarding education and curricula and the closing of schools in Jerusalem, Netsha believes that education in Jerusalem is a key arena for confrontation through targeting Palestinian curricula and attempting to impose alternative curricula, pressuring Palestinian schools, closing some, and linking funding to accepting the Israeli narrative. He affirmed that preserving the national curricula is a protection of Palestinian identity and that education represents the first line of defense against judaization.

Concerning the economic and commercial situation in Jerusalem, Netsha 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 occupation authorities. He explained that the future vision, in his opinion, includes supporting small and medium projects, strengthening the resilient local economy, and linking the Jerusalem economy with the Palestinian and Arab depth.

Regarding the continuous settlement aggression against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the occupation forces, the Secretary-General of the National Popular Conference for Jerusalem said 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 status quo in the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is under Jordanian custodianship.

Regarding the tourism situation, Netsha believes that the occupation seeks to reshape the tourism narrative of Jerusalem while sidelining the Arab and Islamic character in tourist paths, calling for confronting that through enhancing foreign tourism and by Palestinians from within the interior to the Old City and the city of Jerusalem and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as protecting historical sites from judaization and supporting the Palestinian narrative globally.

Netsha sees that the advancement of Jerusalem requires popular resilience, national unity, the renewal of the Fatah movement, activating its leadership and historical role in the city, and providing economic support to traders and Palestinian educational institutions capable of confronting the danger of judaizing the curricula and confronting judaization politically and internationally.

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