Watan-Saudi dissident and prominent academic Dr. Saad Al-Faqih has revealed what he claims are important historical facts about the Palestinian resistance that remain absent from the awareness of most interested parties. This comes after gaining significant media and academic attention in recent weeks.
While there are mistaken beliefs that the resistance began after the British occupation in 1917, and others think it started after the declaration of Israel in 1948, with some pushing it much later to the establishment of modern Palestinian organizations, Al-Faqih, in an article published on his ‘X’ account, pointed out that the roots of the resistance go further back.
He clarified: “The first sparks of resistance were a spontaneous reaction to migration attempts that took place in the 19th century before the first Zionist Congress.”
مقال الأسبوع: حقائق هامة عن المقاومة الفلسطينية
حظيت المقاومة الفلسطينية باهتمام إعلامي وأكاديمي كبير، ومع ذلك بقيت كثير من الحقائق عنها غائبة عن معظم المهتمين بها، هذا فضلا عن أن الأجيال الحالية لا تعرف إلا ما عايشته من تجربة المقاومة. ومن حق هذه المقاومة علينا، ومن العدل معها…
— د. سعد الفقيه (@saadalfagih) November 25, 2023
The History of Palestinian Resistance and Key Facts
In 1892, Palestinians from the villages of Al-Khaderah and Malbis launched an armed attack on the settlement of “Petah Tikva” after Jewish immigrants from outside Palestine had increased in number.
This was followed in 1898 by an attack carried out by the residents of Kfarat in northwest Jordan on settlements established in the Jerash region. They burned down the settlements and expelled their inhabitants, pursuing them to Beisan.
Resistance, both peaceful and armed, persisted before and during the British occupation and continued after the establishment of Israel, employing various means to reach its current state.
Saad Al-Faqih recounted in his article, supported by figures and facts, that Palestinian resistance transformed into armed action after the British occupation in 1919. This involved attacking the Jewish Immigration Center, leading to a 15-day battle with English authorities. Sixty Palestinians were martyred, and 600 others were wounded during this confrontation.
In the same year, several declarations were issued by conferences and associations rejecting the “Balfour Declaration,” followed by numerous massive protests in Jerusalem and armed actions against settlements.
All of this indicated a full awareness of the danger of the Zionist project at that time. However, the scale of the conspiracy, the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, the strength of colonization, and its support for the Zionist project prevented Palestinians from realizing the situation early on, despite this awareness.
Diverse Struggles and Endeavors in Palestinian Resistance
The Palestinian resistance adopted various models of struggle and exerted armed resistance. It utilized demonstrations, civil disobedience (strikes), engaged in religious incitement and fatwas, harnessed writing, journalism, and media, and made efforts in political activism, inciting Arab and Islamic nations and gaining sympathy from other global populations.
In this context, no one can blame Palestinians for leaving any avenue of jihad unexplored or neglecting any form of struggle. The jihad undertaken by Palestinians stands as historical lessons in comprehensive resistance movements. The documentation accompanying these activities elevates the status of these figures in the conscience of Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims.
The resistance’s activities, spanning military, media, political, and other domains, were not only notable but also diverse. It may escape many people that the number of operations conducted by the resistance since its inception reached tens of thousands, including 4,000 during the Great Revolt in Palestine between 1936 and 1939. During the same period, protests and strikes were so successful that the British government intervened through Arab leaders to persuade the Arab Higher Committee to halt the strikes.
In the same context, the resistance presented qualitative works, documents, studies, and statistics. It established study centers, conferences, publications, and media and academic activities. In recent years, the resistance has succeeded in counter-penetrating and manipulating the enemy both in terms of security and politics.
Contributors to Palestinian Resistance from Outside Palestine
Regarding Arab armed participation in the early stages of Palestinian resistance, “Al-Faqih” pointed out that many of the mujahideen who contributed to the resistance were from outside Palestine. Chief among them was the martyr Ezz al-Din al-Qassam himself, born in Jabla, a suburb of Latakia, Syria.
Accompanying him from Syria were Sa’id al-‘Aas and Muhammad al-Ashmar, along with a significant number of fighters from eastern Jordan, Egypt, and the Indian subcontinent who joined the struggle before borders were closed.
The support of Arab peoples against Zionism was a natural reaction due to a sense of responsibility towards the nation’s issues in general and sacred matters in particular. This was evident in the contribution of Arab fighters from outside Palestine and in religious and political activities in Arab countries against Zionism.
In 1914, the Anti-Zionist Association was formed at Al-Azhar, and in 1919, the General Syrian Congress convened to oppose Zionism and declared its rejection of the Balfour Declaration. Additionally, dozens of fatwas were issued by scholars from the Arab world, supporting jihad in Palestine and against Zionism.
Arab Governments and Support for Zionists
The Saudi dissident emphasized in his article that Arab governments had a role in supporting Zionists, whether directly or indirectly.
According to him, the reason for this was that most of these governments were subject to colonization, overtly submissive before formal liberation, and cloaked in submissiveness after liberation.
The first inhibitory role, as he stated, was played by Arab kings, specifically King Abdulaziz, King Ghazi of Iraq, and Prince Abdullah, the Amir of Transjordan. They appealed to the Arab Higher Committee to halt the 1936 strike based on promises from our “friend” Britain.
This strike had strained the British government and its cessation proved detrimental to the resistance and beneficial to the Zionists.
From Betrayal to Treachery
Military confrontation was not the sole challenge faced by Palestinian resistance; rather, the challenges encompassed everything imaginable. Among these challenges were the planting of spies, making concessions, political siege, extortion of detainees, manipulating and assassinating loyalists, pressuring certain groups to lead, and the deviation of entire factions.
The writer referred to what he described as “betrayal turning into treachery,” highlighting betrayals during the wars of 1948 and 1967, the imprisonment and torture of Egyptian mujahideen returning from the front lines in 1948, the Black September events, the Battle of Tel al-Zaatar, and the pressure on the Palestine Liberation Organization to make concessions in Madrid and Oslo.
Furthermore, he discussed how the organization itself transformed into an Arab authority and contributed to supporting the occupation against the resistance. This was in addition to the closure of the Jordanian borders and orders to shoot any infiltrator for jihad in Palestine, as well as the siege of Gaza by the Egyptian regime after the events of 2007.
According to an article by Saad Al-Faqih, who faces ongoing scrutiny from Saudi authorities for his continuous criticism of Saudi policies, the countries supporting the Zionist project are the most powerful in the world according to the stages of the conflict.
He added, “Before the establishment of the entity, Britain had invested all its weight in its success, making it the primary adversary. After its establishment, America became the forefront supporter of the entity, as it became the strongest, wealthiest, and most influential state in the world.”
Periods of Weakness Followed by Resurgence
Saad Al-Faqih continued, stating that the resistance has been affected by such challenges, enduring significant losses and passing through periods of weakness, sometimes prolonged, sometimes brief. However, its resilience never wavers, returning with strength as if nothing happened.
Among the most dangerous challenges were concessions and the deviation of entire factions from the path, turning to favor Zionists. These tactics could have eradicated the resistance if it were not for the awareness of the sincere individuals within it and their appropriate handling of the situation.
The Saudi academic then addressed the sacrifices of the resistance, which spanned over a century, involving tens of thousands of martyrs among its soldiers and hundreds of its leaders, including some of its top leaders. Notable among the sacrificed leaders before the establishment of the entity were Sheikh Ezz al-Din al-Qassam, Sheikh Kaid Al-Miflah, Hassan Salama, and Muhammad Sa’id Al-‘Aas.
After the establishment of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Israel assassinated a significant number of its leaders, and with the emergence of Hamas, they targeted figures like Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, Yahya Ayyash, Nizar Rayan, Ismail Abu Shanab, Ibrahim al-Makadmeh, Jamal Mansour, Jamal Salim, Salah Shahada, and others.
In addition to assassinations, most resistance leaders lived in constant danger, some in perpetual exile, and all concerned about betrayals by Arab governments and infiltration by Mossad agents. This meant they spent most of their time away from their families, perhaps even losing their loved ones before their martyrdom.
The Raised Banner: Nationalistic or Islamic?
Palestinian resistance, in all its forms, began as an Islamic jihad against colonization and British occupation. The banner continued in this manner until the Great Revolt of 1939, which was extinguished after Arab kings collaborated with Britain against the uprising. After the establishment of Israel, scattered fidayeen (guerrilla) activities continued under an Islamic jihadist banner until the early 1960s.
According to Saad Al-Faqih’s article, Fatah and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) were initially influenced by Islamic currents. However, the banner was quickly seized from them in favor of nationalist, patriotic, and leftist currents, while the Islamic sentiment persisted among many Fatah members. Other groups formed in the 1960s, such as the Popular Front, were Marxist or leftist and had no connection to Islam, resulting in a limited number of Islamic members.
Islamic influence diminished in the 1960s and 1970s, only to resurface with the Intifada in the 1980s. Islamic sentiment returned strongly, leading to the founding of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, capturing the hearts and minds of Palestinians and rapidly expanding their ranks.
In the 1990s, most Fatah members, following the Oslo Accords, transitioned to the Palestinian Authority and accepted a role collaborating with the occupation against the resistance. This contributed to a shift, with those opposed to the occupation increasingly joining Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Planning and Strategic Thinking in the Palestinian Resistance
The Palestinian resistance started spontaneously with scattered initiatives in the early 20th century and later evolved into an organized and highly effective movement during the Great Revolt until its suppression in 1939. Afterward, momentum waned, and it returned to sporadic individual or small group actions until the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Fatah, and the Popular Front in the 1960s.
These organizations had clear goals and plans, but lacked clarity in other aspects of strategy. Consequently, the enemy managed to divert them from their objectives and turned them into servants of its agenda.
In contrast, Hamas developed a comprehensive strategy with a clear ultimate goal, specific intermediate objectives, a precise understanding of its own identity, members, supporters, and the popular base. It also had a detailed perception of the enemy, its policies, methods, and a deep understanding of the region and the world, especially influential powers like the United States, Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the Gulf states. The clarity of this strategy appears to be a contributing factor to its success and played a role in making the decisive decision in 2007.
Errors of the Resistance and its Deviations
Despite the sacrifices and achievements of the resistance, it encountered challenges that affected its course and success. Some of these challenges were misguided decisions, while others were deviations and betrayals, impacting the movement.
One such early example was the agreement of revolutionaries in the 1930s to heed the Arab kings’ call to halt the revolution. There was also the trust of fighters in Arab governments, willingly returning to imprisonment, and making unconditional oaths. The more dangerous example was abandoning resistance altogether and aligning with the Zionist regime against the resistance.
Dr. Saad Al-Faqih concluded his article, stating that these are not all the facts but rather an attempt to highlight aspects that he believes might be overlooked by many. The Palestinian resistance is an extensive narrative that does not end, and there is much more to explore, especially after recent events that reminded people that the issue is not solely about the two-state dispute.