In non-democratic regimes, when leaders recognize that they have lost the support of their own people and are even seen as a corrupt enemy, they often seek conflict or war to create an enemy to distract the people from the real source of their problems.
Palestinian Authority and Fatah Party leader Mahmoud Abbas has lost the support of his people. A decisive 80% say his government is corrupt and a similar number want him to resign. Fatah faces almost certain defeat at the hands of Hamas if the PA were to hold elections. So, it’s not a surprise that Abbas wants to trigger a religious war against Jews and Israel.
On Sunday, Israel celebrated the anniversary of Jerusalem’s liberation in 1967 from almost 2,000 years of foreign occupation. For more than 30 years now, tens of thousands of Israelis march and dance through the city on Jerusalem Day as they wave Israeli flags. During the traditional Flag March, they enter the Old City through the Lion’s Gate and—in more recent times—the Damascus Gate, and finish at the Western Wall plaza to celebrate with music and dance.
Mahmoud Abbas sees this event as a great opportunity to incite violence and terror in the “name of Islam”—an opportunity that will serve his other goal: to distract the Palestinian people from his failed leadership.
Yesterday, Abbas’ Fatah posted a video from its Awdah TV on an official party Facebook page that showed Palestinian riots in Jerusalem. The video called on Palestinians to stop yesterday’s parade and prevent the Israeli flag from being waved in Jerusalem. Palestinians were told:
Defending Jerusalem is not [just] a normal duty, but rather a test of our religious and national conscience. Fatah calls on you to set out against the provocative Flag March, which will be held tomorrow in Jerusalem as part of the attempts by the occupation and its settlers to Judaize our eternal capital. Jerusalem is waiting for its guardians, so don’t be negligent and don’t let their flags wave in our sky.
The posted text had the same message:
The Fatah Movement calls on you to come out against the provocative [Jerusalem Day] Flag March, which will be held tomorrow, Sunday [May 29, 2022], in Jerusalem as part of the attempts by the occupation and its settlers to Judaize our eternal capital.
Abbas’ office released a similar statement, which called on Palestinians to “challenge” and “confront” Israel. The PA’s announcement further noted that their call for violence is very serious, and reminds Palestinians that last year’s Flag March triggered an 11-day war with Hamas:
The Presidency Wednesday night stated that Israeli occupation authorities underestimate the Palestinian people’s determination to challenge the occupation by insisting on allowing the annual “March of the Flags” in East Jerusalem.
Presidency spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said … it is now the time for Jerusalem to become a beacon for all Palestinians and Arabs to confront these assaults [i.e., the Flag March] that are destabilizing the region. … He called on the Israeli government to refrain from such provocations that can only further inflame tensions, fueling more unrest and violence, with dire consequences, and held it fully responsible for this escalation that would lead to an explosion of the situation. …
Another Fatah Facebook post and video was also explicit in its call for violence in the name of Islam. The video exhorted Israelis to leave “because you have no history in our Jerusalem, and it is not your homeland.” It also called for “blood” and ended with the chant Allahu Akbar (“Allah is greatest”) repeated four times. The video included footage of Arab riots in Jerusalem.
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