Instead of establishing bodies and associations that work on explaining and spreading the Palestinian case through the world and the Israeli society, many [singlepic id=281 w=320 h=240 float=right] individuals and groups from the Palestinian society choose to establish associations that work on enclosing the Palestinian people and separating it from the world by claiming that “Normalization” is something that affects the Palestinian people negatively and makes it lose its rights. Many organizations prefer to stay isolated rather than going out and facing the occupier and affecting its public opinion by showing the truth of the Israeli Palestinian conflict to the Israeli people before the rest of the world.

Their claim is that such actions justify the occupier and erases the roots of the Israeli occupation and apartheid policy against the Palestinian people.
Such a claim is nothing but an indicator of the fear of the occupier and complete ignorance of how a national action should be employed in order to serve the Palestinian case. The roots of the Palestinian revolution and its success are built on the success that the Palestinians achieved in the field of explanation and marketing of the Palestinian right in living freely and peacefully in a state of its own. Lets take a look at the past and see whether demanders of freedom or messengers did fear sitting with the enemy and explaining their case or they went out and said their word; starting from the Islamic and other religious invitations to believe in one god such as in Mecca at a time when Kuraish was hunting Muslims and killing those who believed in Islam and passing by other freedom fighters examples such as India and the Gandhi movement that targeted the occupation and did everything possible to explain to the occupier before the supporter why independence is a right and occupation is an inhuman action that must be ended.

Boycotting the occupation governmental and extreme education associations is something while reaching the public opinion of the occupying people is something else. Without using all the available means, nothing be achieved for sure. So instead of disconnecting the Palestinian case from the world, our respected associations should work on creating ambassadors from our own people and then send them out to the world in general and the Israeli community to create an effect that history taught us about the positive results it may bring back.

All of those who succeeded through history to achieve their goals did not fear facing the other side whether in a discussion or a demonstration or a civil disobedience. The word “Normalization” is an expression created by certain politicians who wanted to gain personal benefits by creating an expression that can be used to attack their competitors. Going out and explaining the reality of the Palestinian situation, the refugees, the results of the occupation and the settlements, the right of the Palestinians to be freed and that it is the time to end the last occupation in the history of humanity should be the first mission that the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian associations must take if they want to assure a brighter future for the Palestinian people.

Occupation, apartheid and racism cannot be erased or ignored or justified if the oppressor sits with the oppressed. On the contrary, there is nothing that can justify such actions. But going out, sending a clear message about the rights of the Palestinian people, teaching the Palestinian people and empowering it with education and knowledge instead of ignorance and supporting the civilian national movement against the Israeli violations is the last thing left for the Palestinians to try.

Therefore, before looking at political solutions or obtaining beliefs that experiences proved their failure, the Palestinian leadership should look at its people and do what is necessary for its survival because without the survival of the people neither a state nor security can be obtained.

Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad

A Palestinian-Arab living in East Jerusalem, Ziad graduated from College Des Freres in Jerusalem in 2003. Ziad finished his major in International Relations and English Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ziad is a former President of the Watan student movement at the university. He is interested in Middle Eastern political issues and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Founder of the Middle East Post and MEL (Middle East Future Leadership Network), he represents Palestinian youth at several international conferences.

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