The crucial role of the Palestinian people in resisting displacement

For 77 years since the Nakba, the Palestinian people have played a leading role in confronting various attempts aimed at erasing their cause and resolving the conflict by bypassing their rights.

These attempts have included displacement projects, alternative homelands, resettlement schemes and the annulment of the right of return.

The Palestinian cause would not have remained alive and prominent on the global political stage without the convergence of several crucial factors.

Chief among them is the Palestinian people’s own efforts, reinforced by solidarity movements advocating Palestinian rights at the Arab, Islamic and international levels — both officially and popularly.

To counter this, there has been a sustained conspiratorial effort aimed at supporting and reinforcing Israel’s project while ensuring its cohesion.

This effort has also contributed to strengthening its aggression and keeping the fundamental aspects of the Palestinian cause alive and ongoing.

Among all these factors, the most crucial remains the Palestinian struggle, marked by the people’s unwavering refusal to relinquish their rights, their resistance — through all possible means — against liquidation projects, and their tireless efforts to reclaim their usurped land and assert their presence in shaping the overall trajectory of the cause.

A defining feature of the Palestinian struggle has been the interchangeability of resistance roles among the people.

Their presence, dispersion and distribution between homeland and exile have transformed the plight of displacement into a genuine source of strength.

History records that the organised liberation movement took shape after the Nakba with the establishment of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in the heart of the Palestinian diaspora.

The PLO played a crucial  role in mobilising various forms of resistance, unifying the Palestinian liberation struggle within a single national framework.

Over time, the resistance movement shifted significantly to the Palestinian homeland, where it made a profound impact.

It broke through into the global arena, presenting the Palestinian cause in a new light — most notably through the First and Second Intifadas.

The heroic resilience of the people of Gaza stands as another testament, as they have withstood 15 wars and relentless aggression by Israel. The latest assault — an ongoing  genocide and ethnic cleansing campaign — has persisted for 15 consecutive months.

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This struggle extends across all Palestinian territories, including the resistance in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, where the people continue to stand against settlement expansion and settler violence.

Completing this picture is the role played by Palestinians within the 1948 territories, reinforcing the unity of land, people and destiny.

We place former US President Donald Trump’s renewed calls for the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza within the broader historical and political context.

 

Once again, a powerful Western political figure is attempting to test his luck in forcibly uprooting the Palestinian people, reinforcing the Israeli project, and granting it further legitimacy — all in clear violation of international laws, established norms and the basic principles of justice and fairness in conflict resolution.

Despite the grave dangers posed by Trump’s proposal, particularly for the people of Gaza, who have already borne an immense cost under Israel’s machinery of war, destruction and ethnic cleansing, this development paradoxically presents a unique opportunity for the Palestinian cause.

Trump’s plan underscores the absurdity of disregarding the Palestinian will, dismissing even the most basic principles of human dignity and engagement.

Moreover, the proposed displacement project directly threatens Egypt and Jordan, as it would have profound structural and geopolitical ramifications for both nations.

Ironically, by bringing this issue to the forefront at this critical moment, Trump’s proposal has strengthened the Palestinian position against forced displacement and reinforced the global defence of their rightful claim to their homeland.

The Palestinian people are no longer alone in confronting Donald Trump’s policies; rather, nations across the global geopolitical map now find themselves directly impacted and compelled to oppose US policies and halt its arbitrary measures.

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This is especially true given the grave national security threats these policies pose to the very fabric of many nations.

Beyond that, the US has even resorted to imposing sanctions on international institutions, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), further fuelling global resistance against Trump’s actions — particularly his displacement plan.

A clear reflection of this emerging international opposition is German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s strong condemnation of Trump’s proposal, calling it a “horrific scandal.”

Scholz’s description is strikingly accurate. Trump’s policies not only undermine US-led peace initiatives in the Middle East from his first term — such as the normalisation agreements between the occupation state and Arab countries through the Abraham Accords — but also render them virtually meaningless.

The forced displacement plan, coupled with the outright rejection of Palestinian statehood, has all but shattered any prospects for these so-called peace projects, leaving them in total disarray.

Furthermore, timing is another crucial factor. For over a year and a half, the Palestinian cause has dominated global discourse, achieving strategic gains by shaping worldwide awareness of the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people.

The Palestinian narrative of truth and legitimacy has clearly outshined the Israeli narrative of falsehood, as the world is no longer deceived by propaganda and false claims.

The international community has witnessed the atrocities committed in Gaza, leading to a sustained and transnational solidarity movement that transcends borders and continents.

The crimes committed by Israel in Gaza over the past 15 months remain undeniably present before us. Even the most pessimistic observers could not have imagined such a scale of systematic killing and destruction carried out openly before the eyes of the world.

The Israeli war machine has inflicted unprecedented devastation upon the Palestinian people in Gaza.

At this critical juncture, the Palestinian people — its leadership, factions, and all sectors of society whether institutions or individuals — play a fundamental and decisive role in leading the resistance against the displacement plan.

As the primary target of this project, Palestinians must stand at the forefront of confronting it. This, however, does not diminish the vital strategic role of Arab nations, particularly Egypt and Jordan, as well as key regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Muslim-majority countries such as Turkiye.

What strengthens the collective opposition to the displacement plan is the resilience of the Palestinian stance itself.

It is imperative that every segment of Palestinian society — both inside and outside the homeland — fulfills its role in this struggle. The people of Gaza have already shouldered more than their share in defending the Palestinian cause, demonstrating extraordinary resilience in the face of relentless aggression.

This places an even greater responsibility on those with broader access and resources, namely the Palestinians in the diaspora, who are spread across over 100 countries across six continents.

Their role must mirror the steadfastness of Palestinians inside their homeland, as well as their direct resistance against the occupation and its plans.

Throughout the aggression against Gaza, Palestinians’ efforts have been diverse and impactful, but as the threats to Palestinian rights escalate — aiming to erase them altogether — there is an urgent need for structured and coordinated strategies to ensure that the Palestinian voice is heard.

At this critical moment, action is urgently required on two fronts: The first is the steadfastness of Gaza’s people in the face of displacement plans, ensuring they do not feel abandoned to their fate — especially by their Palestinian brothers and sisters around the world, who share in their suffering after enduring immense destruction. The second is to launch a direct solidarity initiative — a twinning and kinship programme between Palestinian families in the diaspora and families in Gaza, designed to be sustainable and ongoing.

This initiative would be coordinated with official entities in Gaza to ensure that no family is left without support. The goal is to establish direct and unmediated connections, fostering a bond akin to familial ties, where support is provided just as one would care for a brother or close relative.

This comprehensive relief effort would guarantee both immediate humanitarian aid and, equally importantly, psychological and moral support, reinforcing the resilience of those enduring the crisis.

Equally important, and with the same level of urgency, is the need for political, grassroots, media and legal action through engagement with local decision-makers — utilising every legal avenue available — to ensure they receive a clear and unequivocal message: the Palestinian people, wherever they are, categorically reject any attempts to undermine their rights.

Among the essential steps required is the organisation of international conferences that explicitly denounce these displacement projects.

This is particularly crucial for institutions worldwide that have played a structuring role in organising the Palestinian diaspora over the past decades, whether in the Americas, Europe, or beyond — including initiatives like the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad. Time is of the essence and swift action is critical.

Additionally, it is imperative that Palestinian grassroots organisations take the lead in mobilising Arab and global civil society, urging them to organise visible and legal demonstrations of opposition to displacement schemes — ensuring that all actions remain within the bounds of local and international laws.

In conclusion, despite the grave dangers looming and the immense suffering endured by the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank and beyond, the historical trajectory of the Palestinian cause has produced present realities that point toward an inevitable future — one in which Palestine will be liberated and Palestinian refugees will return to the homes and cities from which they were forcibly displaced in 1948.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.