Istanbul- The “Nation’s Flood” festival, part of the fourth edition of the Jerusalem Global Week, was launched yesterday evening, Monday, via the virtual “Zoom” platform. It featured the participation of several intellectual, political, and religious elites, as well as representatives of popular movements from various Arab and Islamic countries.
The Global Jerusalem Week is a global initiative led by the Palestinian Scholars Association and civil society institutions working for Palestine. It aims to designate the last week of the month of Rajab each year, coinciding with the anniversary of Al-Israa and Al-Miraj and the anniversary of the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Salah al-Din al-Ayoubi, as a global week by commemorating them through various programs and events in different countries.
The fourth edition of the Global Jerusalem Week, coinciding with the Israeli aggression on Gaza, aims to activate the role of the nation in the battle of Al-Aqsa Flood to support the Palestinian people in Palestine by revitalizing the cause through various programs and activities worldwide, and pushing towards creating public pressure on Arab regimes and peoples to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
In the festival’s opening, the head of the Higher Committee for the Jerusalem Week and the head of the Palestinian Scholars Association, Nawaf Al-Takrouri, emphasized the necessity of allowing the nation to take clear stances. He pointed out that the time has come to support and assist the people of Gaza in every possible way, as this battle deserves unique stances from the nation.
Al-Takrouri called on the Arab peoples whose countries allow relief aid trucks to pass to the Zionist entity to stop these trucks by all means and confront this crime in every possible way.
He also sent a message to the Egyptian people not to accept the closure of the Rafah Crossing and to break the borders between Egypt and Gaza to deliver aid to the Palestinians there.
From Gaza, the Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, participated via a recorded speech, addressing the Israeli occupation’s crimes against hospitals, displaced people in them, medical staff, and the injured.
Dr. Al-Bursh stressed that his injury or the martyrdom of his daughter will not hinder him from continuing his humanitarian service and serving his people’s patients and the wounded. He also questioned the role of the nation and the Arab peoples towards the massacres committed by the occupation in Gaza.
Inaugurating the festival, Turkish preacher Ehsan Shan Ojak stressed the importance of unifying global efforts to support the people of Gaza, continuing the endeavor to provide the largest possible amount of humanitarian aid, and exerting pressure to halt the ceasefire.
During his intervention, he commended the steadfastness of the Palestinians in Gaza despite the scarcity of food, drink, and basic needs. He stated that Gaza is not only fighting Israel but also facing 80% of the world’s military power. Despite this, Gaza has proven its ability to triumph. He also highlighted the increasing distress of the Zionists, the significant divisions within the Israeli society, and the awakening of nations to the danger of this project, with everyone standing with the people of Gaza.
Regarding the resistance, Musa Abu Marzouk, a member of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), praised the resilience of the Palestinians in Gaza despite the shortage of food, drink, and basic needs.
He stated that the situation of the resistance on the ground is at its best, and the fighters are capable of confronting all forms of aggression. He emphasized that more than 300,000 Israeli soldiers in Gaza are unable to position themselves in a specific location. He cited the example of Beit Hanoun, where Israeli forces entered at the beginning of the war and withdrew after more than 3 months of fighting, as clear evidence of the steadfastness of the resistance.
Mohammed Al-Hindi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement, affirmed that the war on Gaza is now considered a comprehensive battle for the entire nation. He considered all humanitarian and human rights appeals as a mask for the West, attempting to hide its flaws and justify its policies.
He indicated that the war on Gaza has become a futile battle with no clear perspective or achievable goals for the Israeli occupation. He denied that the recent Paris meeting discussed ways to cease the aggression in the interest of the Palestinians, indicating that it focused on finding an exit for Israel and exerting pressure to withdraw the prisoner issue from the resistance.
He stressed that the Paris proposal did not include guarantees for a comprehensive ceasefire, reconstruction of Gaza, breaking the siege, or the withdrawal of the occupation from all areas of the Strip. He reiterated that this is the consistent stance of the resistance towards any initiative to cease the fire.
Ziad Abuhisah, a researcher on Jerusalem affairs, highlighted the clampdown measures practiced by the Israeli occupation forces on the residents of Jerusalem. He warned against the approaching date of the Talmudic holidays scheduled for March 24, which include provocative dances and drinking ceremonies at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
He cautioned that this year’s Talmudic holidays for Jews coincide with the second week of Ramadan and the Taraweeh prayers, potentially opening the door for a new battle at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In the same context, Ali Ibrahim, a researcher at the International Jerusalem Foundation, emphasized the importance of any action and initiative aimed at serving the Palestinian cause, especially Jerusalem. He confirmed the role of the “Global Jerusalem Week” as a significant opportunity to engage with these issues.
He pointed out the urgent need to sustain such initiatives and expand the participation circle, especially in light of the renewed global interest in the Palestinian cause, emphasizing the role of scholars and preachers in raising awareness about the Palestinian issue and the significance of partnerships with various entities to achieve this goal.
Ibrahim hopes that the Global Jerusalem Week’s activities ensure the sustainability of prioritizing the Palestinian issue on the main global agenda, in addition to building cooperation bridges on the level of the Islamic world and uniting various solidarity groups.
In conclusion, he emphasized the need for a balance between activities on the ground and virtual platforms to ensure the greatest possible impact, expressing optimism about the future accomplishments of the “Global Jerusalem Week” in supporting the Palestinian cause.
