from JCPA:
No. 588 March-April 2012
The Global March to Jerusalem:
Part of the International Campaign to Delegitimize Israel
Ehud Rosen
- Over the past few years there has been a Palestinian campaign focusing on the so-called "Judaization" of Jerusalem. A number of related topics have been raised recently in what appears to be an orchestrated campaign initiated by leading figures in the PA, Hamas, and Muslim Brotherhood.
- In January 2012, the European Preparatory Committee for the Global March to Jerusalem published an invitation for participation and support. The organizers are aiming to hold marches to Jerusalem "or the nearest point to it" on March 30, to coincide with the annual Palestinian "Land Day." Originally, marches were planned in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the four neighboring countries: Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
- The European Preparatory Committee is comprised of members of UK Muslim Brotherhood circles and a member of the Free Gaza movement (founded by the International Solidarity Movement, ISM), this time joined by the anti-imperialist camp. The original idea is said to have come from participants in the December 2010 "Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan."
- In February 2012, various national committees began their preparations, including in Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Iran. More than twenty Palestinian organizations have endorsed the march.
- It is hard to predict the results of these preparations. However, the participation of Sunni-Islamist circles is increasing, encouraged by their rise due to the Arab Spring. Fatah, the PLO, and the PA are becoming more involved as well, as are more Islamist jihadiforces and far-right European elements.
Ehud Rosen specializes in modern political Islam, focusing on the ideology and history of the Muslim Brotherhood. He is currently a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and teaches at Bar-Ilan University.
No comments:
Post a Comment