The First Day of Intifada: The Palestinians Who Live in the West Bank and Their Responsibility to “Live a Better Life”
The Palestinians who founded the first intifada felt betrayed after 30 years because of the unfulfilled promises made under the accords. The leadership of Mr. Abbas has failed to deliver democracy, keep people safe, manage the economy and live a dignified life. Sometimes it feels like Mr. Abbas only gives one embarrassing speech a year at the UN General Assembly meetings.
I got into politics when I was 15, joining Fatah Youth in Jerusalem during the first intifada in 1987. I met with Abbas several years ago, in his office in the West Bank. He was the No. 2 in the Palestine Liberation Organization back then. He was in his 50s; we were in our 20s. We always had a good time spending time with him. He would tell us that we were tomorrow’s leaders.
Quran says the Palestinians do not support harming innocents. “From the first day, there was a question on many Palestinians’ minds: Is this all true?”
In the West Bank, too, there has been increased violence by Israeli settlers and more aggressive Israeli military raids into refugee camps that have killed more than 290 Palestinians since Oct. 7, according to United Nations figures.
Palestinians cannot co-exist with the state of Israel was the opinion of shopkeepers, laborers, taxi drivers, farmers and government officials repeated by NPR in the West Bank.
They also say the more moderate Palestinian Authority — the official government of the West Bank, which still supports a negotiated “political” settlement with Israel — has seen its popular support collapse in recent years, in part because of what many Palestinians view as collaboration with Israeli security officials.
A majority of Palestinians believe, if they want to become independent, and free of the Israeli occupation, they must resort to armed struggle.
They told NPR that years of negotiations between Palestinians, Israeli leaders and diplomats from the U.S. and other countries toward a two-state solution have brought Palestinians nothing — no independence and no relief from Israeli occupation.
Hamas’ popularity among the Palestinians has gone up significantly since the war against Israel began.
She says that anyone under occupation has the right to fight. Even on the international level, hamas’ reputation has grown.
She was released from jail last month as part of the hostage-for-prisoner exchange and believes if not for Hamas’ pressure, she would not have been freed.
In exchange for freeing some hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack, Israel agreed to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom had no criminal charges against them.
The center’s survey shows that public support for Hamas in the Gaza Strip has risen from 38% to 42%.
Fadi Quran, a West Bank activist and organizer who works for the progressive advocacy group Avaaz, says he is personally troubled by accounts of Hamas violence against women and children.
During more than two weeks of interviews in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, dozens of people told NPR they don’t accept evidence that Hamas targeted and killed civilians.
The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that Israeli officials say killed more than 1,200 people is viewed in Israel and much of the West as an act of terrorism, that included the killing of women and children. The United States has long designated Hamas a terrorist organization.
“Hamas made the most important action against Israel since its existence,” says Nihad Abughosh, a Palestinian journalist and political analyst, who describes himself as a secular moderate.