Fatah calls on Palestinians to “mobilize the activists and masses” to "defend Jerusalem" by stopping the Israeli flag march
Headline: “Fatah calls for general mobilization to defend Jerusalem and fight the settlers’ march on Thursday”
“The Fatah Movement Central Committee called for a general mobilization of its activists and the masses of our people this Thursday [June 10, 2021]. [It also called] to stand as one line to defend Jerusalem and the sites that are holy to Islam and Christianity, and to fight the march of the extremist settlers (refers to Israeli flag march, after the traditional Jerusalem Day flag march was cancelled by violent Arab riots on June 10, 2021; see note below -Ed.).
In a statement that was issued today, Sunday, the Fatah Central Committee emphasized that Jerusalem is a red line, and that the Palestinian people has a strong willpower and determination to resist the occupation in Jerusalem and in all the occupied Palestinian territories.
It noted that 100 years of conflict have proven that it is impossible that our people will submit to the policy of determining facts on the ground, but that it will continue to stand firm and resist, until it removes the last of the Israeli soldiers and settlers from its homeland. It also emphasized that our people will not agree to pay the price of the struggles for rule between the fascists in Israel, and that the masses of our heroic people in Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Interior (i.e., Palestinian term for Israel), and the diaspora will defeat these fascists from the racist right-wing and their plans…
It held the government of Israel fully responsible for the explosion in the situation of Jerusalem and all the Palestinian areas, and called on the international community to intervene quickly to stop the hysteria of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and the Israeli extremist right-wing, and to block its moves in Jerusalem that are threatening to explode the entire region.”
Fatah/Hamas Riot and Rocket War 2021 – On April 30, 2021, facing certain electoral defeat, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas cancelled the first PA elections scheduled in 15 years. Hamas, which expected to win the elections, denounced it as a “coup.” In need of a conflict to divert public discontent, Abbas artificially generated a crisis over Jerusalem. His Fatah party called for "raising the level of confrontation,” and Abbas' spokesman told Palestinians "the battle of all battles is here.” Jerusalem Arabs responded by attacking Jews with rocks and Molotov cocktails. Hamas, Abbas' political rival, could not allow Abbas to lead the battle, so on May 10, 2021, Hamas launched rocket barrages targeting Israeli population centers including Jerusalem. Over the next 11 days, Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired over 4,300 rockets into southern and central Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing 9 Israelis and 3 foreign nationals, and wounding hundreds. In response, Israel launched Operation Guardian of the Walls to target Hamas terror leaders and terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Already in mid-April, a planned eviction of some Palestinian families illegally living in Jewish-owned buildings in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem had led to clashes between Palestinian residents and Israeli police. This dispute provided Palestinians with a pretext for violent rioting. Adding to the crisis, Israeli Arabs started rioting throughout Israel, especially in cities with a mixed Jewish and Arab population. Two Jews were murdered and many were wounded. According to Walla, an independent Israeli news site, 10 synagogues were wholly or partly burned down; fires were set in 112 Jewish homes and 1 Arab home mistaken for a Jewish home; 386 Jewish homes were plundered and 673 were damaged; 849 cars were set ablaze; and there were 5,018 rock-throwing attacks. In response, Jews started attacking Arabs and their properties as well, but on a much smaller scale. No mosques were burned; 13 Arab homes were damaged; 13 Arab-owned cars were burned; and there were 41 rock-throwing attacks by Jews. [Walla, May 16, 2021] The fighting between Israel and Hamas ended with a ceasefire on May 21, 2021.