By Abdullah Abu Rahme
We in the West Bank village of Bilin are just one part of a coordinated plan for September, when Palestinians will seek statehood from the United Nations. I have been named coordinator of activities for the Palestinian Campaign for the 140th State. This means I will be coordinating between all the governorates and the various committees that have been established to rally around this cause. There is also a committee that is trying to raise the funds that are needed for the media effort, and a committee that coordinates between the governorates and is in contact with the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Central Committee.
We have one program: to carry out marches and activities in September, and to hold one major demonstration on September 21, the opening of the United Nations session in New York.
These steps are intended to show that the public stands with the PLO in its United Nations bid, and that we as a people support complete recognition of Palestine at the UN. It is true that after September 21 and the UN session, we are not going to see the state of Palestine magically appear. But this is a first step to freedom, and very important at this stage. This is what will allow us to reach independence and freedom in the future and rid ourselves of all aspects of Israel’s occupation.
We hope that there is no veto of the resolution when it is put before the Security Council, and instead, countries are willing to stand up and say that we also have rights to statehood. We are asking the international community to rid us of this occupation, perhaps through the wielding of sanctions, preventing investment or boycotting the occupation.
If there is a veto, however, we will not abandon everything. We will seek to become an observer country. This will give us access to numerous organizations, such as the International Criminal Court at The Hague, UNESCO and others. This way we can fight the occupation and its settlements in court. Either way, this step has positive outcomes for the Palestinian people.
Our experience in Bilin taught us the great force of people power. In Bilin, Israel was building a Wall on our land, and we needed to stop that construction. We in Bilin went out to face the occupation, but we also held non-violent demonstrations in the village itself.
This coming popular movement is being directed at the UN. Israel is trying to box Palestinians into the use of force and impose clashes in order to transform the “battleground” and the balance of power. It wants to say that there is insecurity in the region and that Palestinians are not ready for a state.
Because of this, the decision was made to have demonstrations in the center of the cities, like in the Arab countries — in Egypt and in Tunis — rather than to face the occupation. If the occupation doesn’t allow this and enters the center of the cities, then the demonstrations will continue, without a doubt. But even if the Israeli military enters Palestinian cities, we will remain peaceful. We will not use armed confrontations. There will be all kinds of people there: religious leaders, the elderly, youth, and students. This will be a peaceful public expression and there will be no place for arms.
Still, we don’t know what the occupation is planning — it could come to us, it could use violence, it could use terrorism, as it did by shelling Gaza repeatedly last week, to turn attention from the initiative at the UN. We are ready for this and in the coming days, our focus will be on peaceful action.
Abdullah Abu Rahme is an activist from the West Bank village of Bilin. This commentary is published by DAILY NEWS EGYPT in collaboration with bitterlemons.org
