Do not let the war swallow Jerusalem and the West Bank

Amidst this insane escalation of war in the region, and after all that our Palestinian people have witnessed of genocide, starvation, and displacement, especially in the Gaza Strip, and the open aggression that has affected all of Palestine, the current moment appears too dangerous to be read as merely another chapter in the series of bloodshed. It is a pivotal moment intended to be a thick curtain for the completion of a broader project, extending beyond Gaza to Jerusalem and the West Bank, by imposing new realities that are difficult to reverse.Historical experience has proven that major wars are not only managed militarily but are also exploited politically to the fullest extent. And every time the world is preoccupied with the flames of war, the pace of Judaization accelerates, the rate of settlement doubles, and geography and demography are reshaped in a way that serves the creeping annexation project. What is happening today cannot be separated from this context: exhausting Palestinian society, weakening its economic structures, deepening isolation between its cities and villages, and transforming population centers into fragmented islands that are easy to control securely.Missing the opportunity for the occupation at this moment is not by merely condemning or waiting, but by realizing the nature and danger of the stage. The danger lies not only in direct destruction but in the attempt to enshrine the results of force as permanent political facts. Hence, the protection of Jerusalem and the West Bank begins with fortifying the Palestinian internal front, ending the division, and rebuilding the national project on the basis of full partnership. The division has been, and still is, the most dangerous loophole through which the settlement project penetrates to establish its realities.Jerusalem is not just a spiritual symbol or an emotional title; it is the core and center of the conflict. Any legal or demographic change in it is intended to be settled as a fait accompli. The same applies to the West Bank, which is subjected to systematic fragmentation through settlement expansion, bypass road networks, and military checkpoints that stifle movement and life. The continuation of this path practically means undermining any possibility of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state and transforming the desired entity into scattered cantons without a real political horizon.At the Arab and regional levels, these developments impose a double responsibility. The widespread military escalation may be used to reorder the region's priorities, but the Palestinian issue must not become a marginal item in influence deals or bargaining chips. What is required is a clear stance that links any regional arrangements to stopping the aggression, stopping settlement, ensuring the protection of civilians, and serious commitment to international legitimacy resolutions.Internationally, the continued reliance on statements of concern perpetuates the logic of impunity. International humanitarian law is not a selective political option but a binding system. Any leniency in its application not only threatens Palestinians but also undermines the credibility of the entire international system and opens the door to the law of the jungle in conflict management.Missing the opportunity for the occupation also comes through strengthening the steadfastness of the people on their land. The battle is not only military but a battle of existence and survival. Supporting Jerusalemites in confronting policies of expulsion and identity revocation, protecting villages threatened with confiscation, and empowering the local economy in the West Bank are all forms of daily resistance that thwart plans of emptying and uprooting. The land protected by its people remains impervious to erasure, no matter how intense the aggression.The current moment, with all its tragedies, requires a transition from reaction to proactive action: a solid national unity, a clear political vision, active legal and diplomatic movement, and a serious Arab incubator that will not allow Jerusalem and the West Bank to be swallowed in the shadows of a raging war. Only this path can close the window that is intended to be opened to complete the project of annexation and liquidation.The scene may seem bleak, but history teaches us that projects based solely on force, no matter how long they last, remain fragile in the face of the will of peoples. As long as the Palestinian is rooted in his land, adhering to his rights, every attempt to impose a fait accompli will remain temporary, no matter how absolute it may seem at the moment.