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<font size="1"><a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210517-the-missiles-of-the-palestinian-resistance-throw-the-enemy-off-balance/">https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210517-the-missiles-of-the-palestinian-resistance-throw-the-enemy-off-balance/</a>
</font><h1 class="gmail-reader-title">The missiles of the Palestinian resistance throw the enemy off balance</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Dr Amira Abo el-Fetouh - May 17, 2021<br></div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><div id="gmail-post-content"> <p>This
year's 73rd anniversary of the Nakba was not marked with sadness,
bitterness and grief over the loss of the land, as it was in the past,
but rather with joy despite the pain, and pride despite the bitterness.
It has spread hope amongst the people about the restoration of
Palestine, which was usurped by the Zionist enemy after the resistance
kick-started its legendary struggle against Israel and the spark of the
intifada was ignited across all of Palestine, its flames burning from
the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea. The uprising is no longer
confined to Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip but has also spread to the West
Bank and the territories occupied in 1948. The occupation authorities
have not managed to displace the residents of Sheikh Jarrah from their
homes, as they have done in the rest of occupied Palestine.</p> <div id="gmail-attachment_261670" class="gmail-wp-caption"><p><img src="https://i1.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/20150515_Latuff-Nakba-Day-1948-2015.gif?resize=268%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1" alt="Nakba Day 1948 - Cartoon [Latuff/MiddleEastMonitor]" width="268" height="333"></p><p class="gmail-wp-caption-text">Nakba Day 1948 – Cartoon [Carlos Latuff/MiddleEastMonitor]</p></div><p>For
the first time since the Nakba, the Palestinian struggle is extending
across every part of Palestine. The resistance has connected Gaza and
Jerusalem.</p> <p>Who would have believed that missiles from Gaza would
one day be capable of reaching Ben Gurion Airport, paralysing air
traffic and forcing flights to be diverted to Greece and Cyprus? Who
would have believed that the missiles could target Israel's strategic
points? Ayyash missiles are named after the martyr Yahya Ayyash, who was
murdered by Israel; they have a range of 250 kilometres and have
brought work on the Eilat-Ashkelon pipelines to a halt. Israel had
presented these pipelines as an alternative to the Suez Canal but has
instead been forced to close down some gas field platforms. This has
reduced the international enthusiasm to invest in the Israeli gas
sector.</p> <p>Who would have believed that the resistance could force a
curfew to be imposed in Tel Aviv, sending illegal Jewish settlers
scuttling into their shelters? The missiles cause panic and fear across
the occupation state, prompting analysts to express concerns about its
future, which is weaker as a result. As the headline in <i>Maariv </i>newspaper said, "The state is burning".</p> <p>Yair
Lapid, head of the Yesh Atid party, was charged with forming a
government after Netanyahu failed to do so, and has said that the area
is witnessing a loss of control on the prime minister's watch. He also
tweeted that Jewish and Arab rioters have declared war on Israel and
that there is no adequate response from the government, the police and
the leadership.</p> <p><strong>READ: <a title="Warnings of 'terrible massacre' planned by Israel against journalists" href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210517-warnings-of-terrible-massacre-planned-by-israel-against-journalists/">Warnings of 'terrible massacre' planned by Israel against journalists</a></strong></p> <p>In
fact, I think this is exactly what Netanyahu wanted in order to protect
himself; to spread anarchy in Israel, first by provoking the
Palestinians with the Sheikh Jarrah displacement issue, then by
escalating Israeli violations against the Palestinians in Al-Aqsa
Mosque, to which the Palestinian resistance in Gaza was fully expected
to respond. In turn, the Israeli army would launch intensive raids on
Gaza as usual, and another war would ensue. Netanyahu is the one who
started it and he is the one who will end it, as happens every time. All
of this casts him as Israel's "strongman", delays the formation of the
new government headed by his opponent, and diverts attention from the
corruption charges against him. It may even lead to the postponement of
his trial.</p> <p>However, Netanyahu has ignored the fact that this is
not the same as before; that the violence is more intense, and the anger
is stronger. Moreover, the struggle has spread to include areas that do
not typically witness conflict between Arabs and Jews, such as Galilee
in northern Israel, where the Palestinian citizens represent half of the
population and live side by side with their Jewish neighbours. This
struggle also escalated very quickly for the first time.</p> <p>Netanyahu
has also overlooked the fact that Palestinian anger is at an
unprecedented level and the reaction to Israel's actions is stronger;
the people are more organised. Moreover, their willingness to die for
the cause has become greater.</p> <p>He has also ignored the fact that
the strength and capabilities of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza have
developed to an astonishing degree. The Qassam Brigades now have
powerful, sophisticated missiles which act as more of a deterrent.</p> <p>Never
before has Israel been challenged in such a way, not even during its
wars with regional Arab armies. The occupation state is behaving as if
it is gravely insulted by this, but it faces even more "indignity" at
the hands of the resistance fighters who have devoted their lives to
defending their land, freedom and dignity. It may even lose again.</p> <p>For
decades now, Israel has played the old colonial trick of divide and
rule, splitting the Palestinians into several sections: one in Gaza, one
in the West Bank, one in Jerusalem and one within the state itself. It
also created the Palestinian diaspora and has worked hard to keep them
all separate, trying to make each section focused on itself and not
paying attention to the others. This allows Israel to single each one
out if it dares to defend one or more of the others. Thus the
Palestinians in Gaza face massive military "retaliation" if they seek to
defend Jerusalem and its indigenous people, while West Bank residents
are arrested if they try to participate in the struggle to lift the
blockade imposed on Gaza. The same goes for the Palestinians in
Jerusalem or Israel if they try to defend Gaza or the West Bank.</p> <p><strong>READ: <a title="Israel arrests 1,500 Palestinians since April" href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210517-israel-arrests-1500-palestinians-since-april/">Israel arrests 1,500 Palestinians since April</a></strong></p> <p>The
new Aqsa Intifada has changed that. Gaza responded and showed
solidarity with the Palestinians in Jerusalem, casting off the chains of
division and rule to unite all Palestinians wherever they are,
including the diaspora. The people of occupied Palestine are thus united
against the Israeli occupation despite their very different
circumstances and conditions.</p> <p>Yet again, a war has been imposed
on the Palestinians; they did not seek it but — all praise and glory be
to God — the magic has backfired, as the saying goes, and turned against
the magician. The Zionists' deception has turned against them. They
started the war and thought they had enough power to protect themselves;
that the threat of their nuclear arsenal and "Iron Dome" would protect
them from the resistance rockets, but this was not the case. "They
planned, but Allah also planned. And Allah is the best of planners."(The
Qur'an, chapter Al-Anfal, verse 30) The missiles of the Palestinian
resistance have thrown the enemy off balance.</p> <p>The views expressed
in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the
editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.</p>
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