The situation in the West Bank today resembles the era that prevailed between 1967 and 1987. The signs of transformation and return to the roots today in the West Bank are similar to those that prevailed on the eve of the first intifada in 1987. The general setbacks and weakness of resistance in the West Bank resemble the years between the setback of 1967 and the first intifada.
The period between the setback and the first intifada was largely quiet in the West Bank, which had experienced the shock of sudden occupation and the defeat of the ill-fated Arab coalition. While fedayeen activities existed, they did not reflect a general sentiment in the community and were focused outside, with scattered limited actions internally.
This was considered a natural behavior for a community that had to absorb the shock of the setback. The people, thinking the incoming tanks were Arab, were shocked to find them Israeli, and that the occupation’s army only needed to cross the road to occupy the land. The community’s greatest confusion towards the Zionist project was their refusal to leave their cities and villages as had happened in the 1948 war, something the Zionist entity has not been able to digest until today.
In recent years, a new rebellious generation has emerged in the West Bank, characterized by its ferocity and rejection of the current situation. They seek to bridge the gap between tradition and the current landscape, and while they are supportive of resistance, they lack sufficient experience, acting spontaneously and without possessing adequate armament capabilities.
After the setback, it took the West Bank and Gaza two full decades before they took the initiative, leading to the first intifada (the Stone Intifada), considered the greatest popular liberation movement in the twentieth century. This was followed by the Palestinian Authority era and the Al-Aqsa intifada. However, the most dangerous stage followed the end of the Al-Aqsa intifada, highlighting the differences between the reality of resistance in the West Bank and Gaza.
One of the fundamental differences between the West Bank and Gaza is that the end of the Al-Aqsa intifada included an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. Additionally, resistance in Gaza had accumulated in quantity and quality from the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa intifada in 2000 until present, bolstered by Hamas’ control in Gaza since 2007. In contrast, the West Bank faced a situation reminiscent of post-June 1967 and pre-1948, stripped of all military, social, and inhibitory strength.
The West Bank’s Palestinian society has faced increased income levels over the years, not due to the authority’s economic policies, but to Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies allowing around 200,000 West Bank workers into Israel as part of a policy of containment.
Amid these challenges, a new rebellious generation has emerged in recent years, characterized by its ferocity and rejection of the current situation, despite lacking sufficient armament capabilities. The majority of bold operations in the West Bank have been individual in nature, carried out with primitive, locally manufactured weapons that often yield modest results.
The West Bank’s resistance is described as having no patron. Although many groups, especially in the northern West Bank, receive support and funding from resistance movements, these organizations still lack the ability to build a solid infrastructure for resistance in the West Bank. While Israel’s tactic of mowing the grass is overly stringent compared to the capabilities of the West Bank’s resistance, the Palestinian Authority maintains security coordination to ensure its survival, considering these groups as a threat to its authority.
The challenges facing resistance in the West Bank present tough scenarios. The negative neutrality and weak, sporadic resistance are no longer convincing, and a noticeable evolution towards becoming more skillful in the face of a determined young generation is underway. With the ongoing battles in Gaza and increased violence from settlers and the occupation in the West Bank, the situation is on the brink of eruption.
The post-war period in Gaza will mark the beginning of a new stage, leading to serious challenges in the West Bank. The younger generation’s changes following the Al-Aqsa intifada will impose themselves in more violent forms. While history may echo similar events, the ensuing new stage in the West Bank will not be a repetition of the first intifada or the Al-Aqsa intifada, but rather an entirely different situation that requires insight into the youth and the changes brought about by the Al-Aqsa intifada.
