Bethlehem/ Artical written by Palestinian News Network (PNN) Editor-in-Chief, Munjed Jadou.
We as Palestinian journalists received last week seviral news and photos of meetings and visits of the US envoy to the Palestinian-Israeli file, Hadi Amro, and the US Ambassador for Religious Freedom, Rashad Hussein, through our email from the Media Office of at the Palestinian Affairs Office in the US, They have met with many Palestinian officials, whether in the government, politicians, representatives of civil society, or religious figures. The news is being published under headlines discussing Palestinian-American relations, improving the living conditions of Palestinians, and improving the economic situation.
In recent days, we have seen many photos of their meetings. As Palestinians, we are certainly open to different countries and seek to strengthen bilateral relations with them to be among the countries that support Palestinian rights within the framework of international laws and norms.
Therefore, Palestinians welcome officials of various orientations with visits from the United States, despite their knowledge of the United States' clear support for Israel. But they hope that there will be a change in the US position, especially as Israel continues to commit violations of human rights and international conventions, whether regarding human rights, freedom of worship, freedom of movement, or the occupation that represents a system of aggression against the Palestinian people. These violations also represent a violation of American values regarding human rights, freedom of worship, and the freedom of peoples.
The Palestinians have heard promises for years of steps to facilitate their lives, but they have not happened, and the reason is that no one has talked about the end of the occupation. That is why they believe that their salvation will come with the end of the occupation and the departure of the last soldier and settler from their lands, otherwise everything you do will remain meaningless to them because they are the ones suffering on the ground.
US officials have recently met with Hussein Al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Jabril Al-Rajoub, a member of the Central Committee of Fatah, Majdi Al-Khaldi, the president's advisor for political affairs, Shukri Bishara, the finance minister, Azam Al-Khatib, the general director of endowments in Jerusalem, Bishop Sani Azar, and the governor of the Palestinian Monetary Authority. They discussed many issues and the Palestinian reality that Palestinians want to convey to their American counterparts with one message: they want to see real steps on the ground to end the occupation. Talking about the peace process will no longer be enough for them.
One of the issues thay made many people see that some visits by American officials are just formal, including the visit to Ramallah Hospital, which is supported by Palestinian-American expatriates. Therefore, this visit carries only a formal stamp because the aid comes from Palestinian expatriates without intervention from the US government. This calls on American officials to take real steps to support the Palestinians.
The ongoing attacks by the Israeli army, the latest being the raid on the Jenin refugee camp on the 28th day of Ramadan, while I am writing this article, is evidence of the lack of pressure from the United States on Israel to stop its attacks and incursions into Palestinian cities.
In order for Palestinians to see the importance of these visits, they hope that the United States will take serious steps towards a political solution and not continue with formal steps that are currently being taken, led by diplomats Amro and Hussein, with their importance being emphasized but not being enough.
As a journalist and follower of Palestinian affairs, I believe that American envoys should not continue with these formal steps and should move towards more serious and realistic steps, such as reopening the consulate that was replaced by the Palestinian Affairs Office in the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as an Israeli settlement as long as it is established on Palestinian land. In addition, the American envoys should open an office for the PLO in Washington, remove the PLO from the list of terrorist organizations, and acknowledge this in the U.S. Congress and resume funding for the Palestinian government. These are initial steps to ensure that the Palestinians believe that the United States is somewhat serious about changing the reality in line with ending the occupation.
Visits by American officials to occupied Palestine and their meetings with Palestinian officials or civil society are important matters, but they do not compensate, protect or replace the reality of the occupation and the various crimes committed, including killing children, youth, and the elderly, demolishing and confiscating land, stealing water, controlling borders, arrests, and preventing the performance of Christian and Islamic religious rituals, and other Israeli racist practices.
My message to American officials visiting Palestine and its occupied cities is that the Palestinian people will welcome you more if you start with real actions on the ground and do not limit your visits to formal and superficial steps that will not change the reality of Palestinians and their lives, but on the contrary, will have a reverse effect in extending the lifespan of the occupation and consolidating it, thus increasing the suffering of Palestinians in the futur.
The Palestinians have heard promises for years of steps to facilitate their lives, but they have not happened, and the reason is that no one has talked about the end of the occupation. That is why they believe that their salvation will come with the end of the occupation and the departure of the last soldier and settler from their lands, otherwise everything you do will remain meaningless to them because they are the ones suffering on the ground.
