Al-Natsheh: Jerusalem Must Remain the Center of the Conflict and the Axis of Political Decision in the Coming Phase

SadaNews - Major General Bilal Al-Natsheh, Secretary-General of the National Conference for Jerusalem, stated that the holy city faces a systematic project aimed at the judaization of the city which targets the individual, place, and identity. This necessitates a strategic vision focused on: enhancing the resilience of Jerusalemites materially, politically, and legally; safeguarding the Arab and Islamic identity of the city; solidifying the Palestinian demographic presence in the face of uprooting policies; internationalizing the Jerusalem issue; and elevating 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-Natsheh stressed in his press statements that the Fatah movement represents the backbone of the Palestinian national project, and that the eighth conference marks a pivotal point and an opportunity to politically and organizationally renew the movement, 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 the division, and formulate a clear political vision to confront the occupation. He confirmed that the success of the conference would send a message that the movement is "capable of renewing itself and continuing its historical role," especially in protecting Jerusalem and its inhabitants and confronting the dangers of judaization and Israeli settlement of land and people simultaneously.

On the relationship with Jerusalem, Al-Natsheh stated in his remarks that the holy city must remain the center of the conflict and the axis of political decision, and that any resurgence of the movement must begin with supporting the resilience of the city and confronting alterations to the demographic situation and policies of demolition and settlement. He described the demographic situation as the most dangerous, due to the expansion of settlements and the construction of thousands of housing units, the policy of home demolitions, forced displacement, and the confiscation of properties within the Old City. He pointed out that the occupation seeks to alter the population composition in favor of settlers and imposes a new demographic reality that prevents any future political solution.
 
Concerning education, curricula, and the closing of schools in Jerusalem, Al-Natsheh sees education in Jerusalem as a primary arena of confrontation through targeting Palestinian curricula and attempting to impose alternative curricula, pressuring Palestinian schools, closing some of them, and linking funding to accepting the Israeli narrative. He affirmed that preserving national curricula is a protection of Palestinian identity and that education represents the first line of defense against judaization.
 
Regarding the economic and commercial situation in Jerusalem, Al-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 occupation authorities. He clarified that the future vision includes, in his opinion, supporting small and medium enterprises, enhancing the local resistant economy, and linking the Jerusalem economy to the Palestinian and Arab depth.
 
Regarding the continuous settler aggression against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque with the protection of occupation forces, the Secretary-General of the National 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 status quo in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is under Hashemite custodianship.

Concerning the tourism situation, Al-Natsheh sees that the occupation seeks to reshape the tourism narrative of Jerusalem, while marginalizing the Arab and Islamic character in tourism paths, calling for facing that by enhancing foreign tourism and that of Palestinians from within the country to the Old City, Jerusalem, and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, protecting historical landmarks from judaization, and supporting the Palestinian narrative globally.

Al-Natsheh believes that uplifting Jerusalem requires popular resilience, national unity, renewing the Fatah movement, activating its leadership role in the city, and providing economic support to merchants and Palestinian educational institutions capable of facing the danger of judaization of curricula and confronting judaization politically and internationally.

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