Monday, 12 February 2024, rounded off the second Annual Palestine Forum, organized by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies and the Institute for Palestine Studies. The last symposium, “The Repercussions of the War on Gaza: Insights into the Palestinian National Project,” was chaired by Laila Farsakh, Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, and included presentations by Mustafa Barghouti, Ahmed Ghoneim, Adeeb Ziadeh, and Mueen Al-Taher on their ideas about the state of the Palestinian national project.

Speaking first, General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, Barghouti argued that the recent war rendered talking about the national project at this moment a matter of urgency. He alluded to the three elements that constitute this project, the first of which being the goals. He stressed that the goal is not only to end the occupation, but to overthrow the settler-colonial system across occupied Palestine, ensure the return of refugees, and establish a democratic system in which Palestinians can practice self-determination and determine their own fate. The second element is strategy, which is based on the three principles of self-reliance, self-organization, and challenging the Zionist occupation and colonial system. This strategy requires supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people to remain on their land, strengthening the demographic presence of resistance, building all forms of resistance, unifying the national ranks, building a unified leadership, integrating the struggle at home and abroad, maximizing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement, penetrating the ranks of the opponent, and building on the global movement to support the Palestinians. The third element is the mechanisms based on the formation of a unified national front and leadership that can overcome Palestinian divisions, work to protect the Palestinian right to self-representation, unite the Palestinian people and protect the land and nation.

In his presentation, the second speaker, Ahmed Ghoneim, a former member of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council, drew attention to the urgent need to rebuild the Palestinian national project considering the current context. He argued that restoring the dignity of the homeland and the Palestinian people is more urgent and more eloquent than any power struggle. For this reason, the Palestinian national project needs to be rooted in national unity and the affirmation of the right of the Palestinian people to resist. This unity includes all political forces and factions, the Palestinian people, the Palestinian political system, and national strategies. Ghoneim stressed that the responsibility today falls on all components of the Palestinian people to unify the Palestinian national project, which requires strengthening solidarity between all Palestinians.

Adeeb Ziadeh, Assistant Professor in the Department of International Affairs at Qatar University, stressed the necessity of building on the events of 7 October to restore interest in the Palestinian national project. He added that 7 October had defeated attempts to marginalize the Palestinian question regionally, and impeded efforts to normalize relations between Israel and the Arab countries without Palestinian people obtaining their just national rights. Ziadeh further rejected the idea that Palestinian division was based on a power struggle, arguing instead that 7 October showed that the division was based on different opinions of how to liberate Palestinians from the occupation. Ziadeh concluded by insisting that the real question today is how to build on the resistance, steadfastness, and sacrifices of the Palestinian people to further a real political project, by studying the strengths, weaknesses, and priorities of the cause, with an emphasis on the fact that the main actor in this equation is the Palestinian people. He added that the Palestine Liberation Organization must overcome the crisis of exclusivity in Palestinian decision-making and rely on democratic tools and partnerships in this process.

Mueen Al-Taher, Coordinator of the ACRPS “Palestine Memory Project”, stressed that any national project must have the approval of the majority of the Palestinian people. He added that this project must consist of two aspects, the first of which is a general goal or vision, which must be fought for. Second is the means to achieve this goal. He noted that while there is no dispute about the right of the Palestinian people to establish their free state, this will only be achieved by ending the occupation, and that this stage is not so much dependent on proposing solutions as it is on accumulating the achievements of the struggle to change the balance of power. He added that there is also a need to agree on a new formula to confront the US manoeuvres with a program based on first ceasing settlement building, and then setting a timetable for dismantling existing settlements, removing the occupation from the occupied territories, not allowing the reproduction of any agreement similar to the Oslo Accords or submitting to the conditions of the Quartet on the Middle East. It also requires non-participation in any negotiations that are not related to a clear timetable for the end of the occupation, after which the Palestinian people alone decide the form of their state. He pointed out that from here stems the need to formulate a Palestinian national project that preserves the historical narrative of the Palestinian people, unites their energies and efforts, and makes defeating the occupation its main goal. The Palestine Liberation Organization, as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, requires the participation of all Palestinians and must be transformed into an organization that operates on a democratic basis.

Director General of the Arab Center, Azmi Bishara, concluded the Forum by emphasizing the unique academic space provided by the Annual Palestine Forum, dedicated to bringing together academics from numerous disciplines to discuss issues related to Palestine. He noted that the success of the first two years of the Forum is a major incentive to keep it running in cooperation with the Institute for Palestine Studies for many years to come. Bishara thanked all the academics and researchers who participated this year, as well as everyone who attended the Forum, and all the researchers and employees who contributed to the event’s success. Bishara concluded by saying that Palestinian unity today is not a luxury, but an urgent necessity that requires solidarity, especially in light of the current conditions facing the Palestinian people.