Palestinian worshippers praying near the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque compound last year. AFP
Palestinian worshippers praying near the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque compound last year. AFP
Palestinian worshippers praying near the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque compound last year. AFP
Palestinian worshippers praying near the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque compound last year. AFP

At Ramadan, remember the Palestinian struggle for one of Islam’s holiest sites​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​


  • English
  • Arabic

As Ramadan approaches, the city of Jerusalem is preparing for its sacred rituals. Ramadan is observed by Muslims across the world in the spirit of sacrifice, cleansing and renewal, but in Jerusalem it carries unique and particular importance. While Jerusalem is central to all three monotheistic religions and is a reflection of the mosaic of civilisations that have inhabited the city throughout the years, the holy month serves to reinforce the city's Palestinian and Arab identity – an identity Israel is violently attempting to strip away.

During Ramadan, this identity is on full display: worshippers who are typically barred from entering Jerusalem due to Israel’s discriminatory permit regime flock to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound; colourful Ramadan lanterns adorn the streets of the Old City; and the aromas of meals prepared for the breaking of the fast waft throughout the city. These are not only expressions of celebration but of existence and resistance against Israeli colonial settler policies and practices that, on a daily basis, threaten both the Palestinian presence in, and claims over, the city. Palestinian steadfastness is increasingly important following various decisions by the Trump administration that have given Israel a green light to undermine Palestinian rights. No one should accept Israel’s exclusivity over Jerusalem and normalise its illegal annexation of the city.

A view of the Dome of the Rock in Al Aqsa Mosque compound. EPA
A view of the Dome of the Rock in Al Aqsa Mosque compound. EPA

On a daily basis, more than 300,000 Jerusalemites fight against a brutal Israeli occupation that seeks to remove them from their land. The equation used by the Israeli occupation in Jerusalem and other parts of the occupied Palestinian territory is relatively simple: confiscate as much land as possible, with as few people as possible.

In order to achieve this, Israel has enforced various illegal policies and practices aimed at systematically diminishing a Palestinian presence in Jerusalem. This includes revoking the residency status of East Jerusalem Palestinians (amounting to nearly 15,000 Palestinians since 1967), preventing the natural growth of the Palestinian community by restricting family unification and child registration of East Jerusalem Palestinians, expropriating Palestinian land and property, denying building permits and the demolition of Palestinian houses, physically isolating East Jerusalem from the rest of the occupied West Bank, in part by building the annexation wall and installing military checkpoints, and suppressing Palestinian political and cultural life.

The illegal settlement project not only aims to erase a Palestinian physical presence from the city but to shift the historical narrative as a means of Judaising Jerusalem

Such policies and practices aid the preservation and expansion of the illegal Israeli colonial settlement enterprise in Jerusalem. Israel’s colonial settler project takes several forms, ranging from large colonies such as the French Hill and Pisgat Zeev colonial settlements to individual Palestinian homes in the Old City being turned into colonial enclaves, with the Palestinian residents forcibly evicted and replaced with Israeli settlers and entire neighbourhoods, such as Sheikh Jarrah and the Mount of Olives, being slowly transformed into colonial settlements.

The illegal settlement project not only aims to erase a Palestinian physical presence from the city but to shift the historical narrative as a means of Judaising Jerusalem. This is most evident in the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan, outside the walls of the Old City, where Israel has created an archaeological park on land confiscated from its Palestinian residents, using the pretext of archaeological claims to justify the destruction of Palestinian homes and the expulsion of their inhabitants. Since the beginning of this year, Israel has enforced the demolition of 10 Palestinian homes in Silwan and at the same time continues to expand and facilitate new settlement infrastructure, serving to consolidate an Israeli settler presence in the neighbourhood.

Israeli historian Illan Pappe described Israeli policies during the Nakba, or the catastrophe, of 1948, as “displacement and replacement”. In Palestine, and particularly in Jerusalem, we live an ongoing Nakba, where our presence is being systematically worn down and replaced with the Israeli settler colonial project.

A Palestinian woman prays in front of the Dome of the Rock on the first Friday of Ramadan at Haram Al Sharif in Jerusalem's Old City. Ammar Awad / Reuters
A Palestinian woman prays in front of the Dome of the Rock on the first Friday of Ramadan at Haram Al Sharif in Jerusalem's Old City. Ammar Awad / Reuters

These policies have been supported and emboldened by the Trump administration. By recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and in defiance of international law, the US administration has underlined its intentions. It is not an honest broker of peace but seeks Palestinian surrender to illegal actions, sending a message to Israel and the world that the use of force to expand borders is not only acceptable but commendable. This is a dangerous precedent to set. Taking this and other US administration decisions that have consistently undermined Palestinians' rights over the past year (moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, defunding UNRWA, shuttering the Palestine Liberation Organisation office in Washington and recognising Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights) into consideration, it is hard to imagine that Donald Trump's so-called peace plan, rumoured to be released after Ramadan, will be anything more than a legitimisation of Israel's illegal actions undermining Palestinian rights – mainly our right to self-determination.

The Palestine Liberation Organisation has constantly repeated that Palestine is not for sale – and we affirm this by maintaining presence on our land. In this context, Palestine’s new government will expend all efforts to support the resilience of the Palestinian people under occupation in general, and in Jerusalem in particular.

This task will prove challenging under current financial limitations and impediments resulting from the unilateral illegal actions by both the Israeli government and the US administration. Supporting the resilience of our people is not just a Palestinian responsibility but an international one. It is necessary that the world send a strong message to Israel that it does not accept its illegal practices and policies in Jerusalem (and across occupied Palestine), which not only undermine the rights of Palestinians living there but threaten regional peace and stability. While we welcomed the international response railing against the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, this must be followed by concrete action and a co-ordinated strategy to improve the living conditions of Jerusalemites and support their steadfastness and continued presence in their homes.

As millions of people across the world prepare to observe Ramadan, we call upon them not to forget the struggle for freedom, equality and justice of the people of Palestine. We need your support in order to raise the morale and hope of our people for a future of dignity and justice. Jerusalem remains the heart of the Arab world and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people represents the will and the feelings of millions in the Arab and Muslim worlds.

As the late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat once said: “A day will come when one of our boys or girls will raise the flag of Palestine over the walls of Jerusalem, the minarets of Jerusalem and the churches of Jerusalem.” May this holy month bring us closer to this moment, a turning point toward a just and lasting peace in our region.

Dr Saeb Erekat is the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation

England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29

Results

6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m

Winner: Aatebat Al Khalediah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer).

7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.

7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Dubai Avenue, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: My Catch, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

How it works

A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank

Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night 

The charge is stored inside a battery

The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode

A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes 

This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode

When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again

The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge

No limit on how many times you can charge

 

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
Day 4, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Not much was expected – on Sunday or ever – of Hasan Ali as a batsman. And yet he lit up the late overs of the Pakistan innings with a happy cameo of 29 from 25 balls. The highlight was when he launched a six right on top of the netting above the Pakistan players’ viewing area. He was out next ball.

Stat of the day – 1,358 There were 1,358 days between Haris Sohail’s previous first-class match and his Test debut for Pakistan. The lack of practice in the multi-day format did not show, though, as the left-hander made an assured half-century to guide his side through a potentially damaging collapse.

The verdict As is the fashion of Test matches in this country, the draw feels like a dead-cert, before a clatter of wickets on the fourth afternoon puts either side on red alert. With Yasir Shah finding prodigious turn now, Pakistan will be confident of bowling Sri Lanka out. Whether they have enough time to do so and chase the runs required remains to be seen.