Oraib Al-Rantawi: The month of Ramadan, in the occupation’s narrative, is an occasion to accuse the Palestinians of terrorism to justify its aggression against them

Majed Hadeeb: There is a need to reconsider religious discourse to avoid exploiting it to justify Israeli aggression

Suleiman Basharat: The occupation seeks to obliterate the human dimension of the religious life of the Palestinians to impose a new reality that serves its interests

Adnan Al-Sabah: Israel seeks to exploit Islamophobia in the West to legitimize its oppressive policies

Samer Anabtawi: Israel will not stop using Ramadan and other religious and national occasions as a pretext to continue its aggression

Religious occasions, especially the holy month of Ramadan, witness an escalation in Israeli repressive policies towards Palestinians, as these occasions are used as a pretext to justify violent measures that restrict freedom of worship.

In separate interviews with “I,” writers and political analysts confirm that the Israeli narrative seeks to distort the image of the Palestinians and legitimize aggressive practices that aim to restrict the freedom of Palestinians to practice their religious rituals and daily lives.

Writers and analysts confirm that the month of Ramadan, which is considered one of the most important religious occasions for Muslims, is transformed in the Israeli narrative into a period in which Palestinian operations are alleged to increase, which is used as a cover to impose strict security measures, impose restrictions on the movement of worshipers, close Al-Aqsa Mosque, and launch wide-scale arrest campaigns in the West Bank.

They point out that these measures are not only aimed at achieving security, but also seek to break the will of the Palestinians and humiliate them, reflecting a systematic policy to strip them of their human and national rights.

They believe that the international community is called upon to assume its responsibility in confronting these violations, and to expose the Israeli narrative that seeks to transform the conflict from a national liberation issue into a religious conflict, even though the essence of the Palestinian issue is occupation and colonialism, and that resistance is a natural reaction to that.

Tel Aviv is trying to strip the Palestinians of their international and humanitarian legitimacy

Director of the Jerusalem Center for Political Studies, Oraib al-Rantawi, confirms that Israel does not miss any opportunity to demonize the Palestinians, whether they are individuals, organizations, resistance, or even civilians, considering that this policy is a fixed approach used by Tel Aviv in its attempt to strip the Palestinians of their international and humanitarian legitimacy.

Al-Rantawi explains that the most hideous form of this demonization is to describe the Palestinians’ resistance to the occupation as “terrorism,” while the occupation, according to all international laws and regulations, calls for resistance, which is a legitimate right on both the heavenly and earthly levels. However, Israel refuses to recognize itself as an occupying force, and seeks to impose an equation in which every form of resistance is considered unjustified terrorism.

Al-Rantawi explains that Israel believes that the most dangerous types of resistance are those that are linked to a religious and ideological dimension, as it classifies what it calls “Islamic terrorism” as the most severe type of “threat,” and uses this term widely, both in the media and on the tongues of Israeli officials.

He points out that the holy month of Ramadan, which Muslims consider the most important religious occasion, is transformed in the Israeli narrative into an occasion to accuse the Palestinians of terrorism, to justify its suppression of them. This policy is not new, as Israel has been using it annually, but this year it has become more ferocious and dangerous, in light of what he described as a state of “complete Israeli chaos,” where Israeli fascism has begun to implement extremist policies without restrictions or reviews.

Al-Rantawi explains that, through this approach, Israel seeks to justify its aggressive operations in advance, by claiming that Ramadan is the month in which Palestinian operations increase, in order to give it a pretext to take excessively violent preemptive measures.

"We saw how direct orders were given to open fire and kill Palestinians in the streets without having to consult military authorities, which led to many casualties, including women and children, especially in the northern West Bank," Rantawi said.

The international community is required to take action to put an end to Israeli policies.

Al-Rantawi points out that the Israeli measures that aim to restrict the movement of worshipers and restrict prayers and seclusion in Al-Aqsa Mosque come within a clear Israeli attempt to suppress the escalating resistance in the West Bank, considering that these measures are a prelude to a broader targeting, with the aim of preventing any Palestinian movements during the month of Ramadan, whether popular resistance or otherwise.

Rantawi stresses that these policies will not deter Palestinians from exercising their right to resistance, stressing that “occupation generates resistance,” whether in Ramadan or at any other time.

Al-Rantawi believes that the international community is required to take action to put an end to these Israeli policies, which exploit religious holidays and occasions to justify the killing and abuse of Palestinians, warning that the continuation of this approach will lead to further escalation and tension in the region.

"Demonizing Islam" is an old Israeli-American strategy

Writer and political analyst Majed Hadeeb stresses that religious discourse should be a tool for unification and guidance, not a means of incitement and provoking conflicts. He stresses the need to stay away from any religious discourse that might give Israel additional justifications to justify its oppressive policies towards the Palestinians, under the pretext of “defending its security and existence.”

Hadib explains that demonizing Islam is not a new phenomenon, but rather an old strategy used systematically by Israel and the United States of America, which has previously called on Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia, to review their educational curricula and religious courses, on the pretext that they promote concepts that could fuel conflict.

Hadeeb points out that Israel has always focused on the fact that some school curricula, especially those dealing with the Arab-Israeli conflict, promote the idea of jihad, especially during the month of Ramadan, which, according to its narrative, gives it a “justification” for practicing oppression and violence against the Palestinians.

“Unfortunately, we ourselves are giving our enemies swords that are being held over our necks through some provocative speeches, without offering anything real to confront them,” Hadeeb says. “Therefore, we must be more aware of how to manage our religious discourse, so that we focus on instilling the correct Islamic values that call for tolerance, without giving the occupation the opportunity to exploit this discourse against us.”

Hadeeb points out that Israel exploits the religious discourse of some Islamic groups and organizations in the region to justify its oppressive policies, as it works to convince the world that it is surrounded by an “extremist Islamic world” that seeks to annihilate it, citing speeches calling for the killing of Jews or the spread of Islam by force.

Hadeeb believes that Israel has succeeded in demonizing some Islamic factions, not only the Palestinian factions, but even Islamic groups in the Arab world, by highlighting their discourses that adopt the concept of religious conflict, which gave Israel an opportunity to justify the use of excessive force against the Palestinians, on the pretext that they “do not seek peace, but rather work to implement extremist religious agendas.”

Hadeeb asserts that Israel has succeeded in demonizing the Palestinian factions that adopt the Islamic vision, most notably Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as it has been able to present them to the world as extremist movements that do not seek to achieve a Palestinian state, but rather to establish an “Islamic state” through jihad.

Hadib explains that as long as these factions themselves have not been able to unite on a single vision and a unified strategy for liberation and state-building, it is illogical to expect the Islamic world to support them, especially in light of the deep divisions between the various Islamic states and factions.

“How can we expect the Islamic world to support the theories of jihad and the establishment of an Islamic state, while Muslims themselves are divided and conflicting? There are conflicting theories; some factions call for killing Jews without any real preparation for building a state, while others call for jihad as a first step, then declaring an Islamic state, and then waging a final battle to end Israel. This divergent approach gives Israel a golden opportunity to enhance its military and political superiority, taking advantage of the divisions in the Arab and Islamic worlds,” Hadeeb says.

Hadeeb stresses that the Palestinians' success in establishing their state will not be possible as long as the theory that the conflict with Israel is a religious conflict continues to be adopted, pointing out that this theory proved its failure during the war on Gaza.

Hadib asserts that the experience of the last war confirmed that adopting religious conflict did not succeed in pushing the Islamic world towards supporting the Palestinian resistance, as neither Hamas nor Islamic Jihad was able to garner sufficient support to achieve their goals, which reinforces the validity of the Fatah movement’s vision, which believes that the conflict with Israel is not an existential conflict, but rather must be a border conflict.

Hadib points out that continuing to talk about the conflict from a religious perspective contributes to diverting the compass of the Palestinian struggle from its primary goal, which is achieving national liberation and establishing the Palestinian state.

Hadeeb asserts that Israel did not only exploit the Palestinian religious discourse, but also worked to present itself as a “victim” before the world, claiming that it was facing an “extremist Islamic enemy seeking to annihilate it,” which enabled it to gain the support of the West and strengthen its position as a power that must remain dominant in the region.

Hadeeb explains that Israel has greatly benefited from the state of division within the Arab and Islamic world, as it has exploited theories of religious conflict to justify the continuation of its aggressive policies, which makes it necessary to reconsider the Palestinian discourse and work to unify efforts towards a clear national strategy based on the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, far from the ideologies that have weakened the Palestinian cause over the past years.

Promoting that the Palestinian does not accept living in peace

Writer and political analyst Suleiman Basharat asserts that the Israeli occupation is working systematically to demonize religious occasions among Palestinians, trying to transform them from stations of comfort and reassurance into occasions that are portrayed as confrontations and clashes, within the framework of a strategy aimed at distorting the image of Palestinians and Muslims before the world.

Basharat explains that Israel is trying to promote a narrative that the Palestinian does not accept living in peace, does not seek coexistence, but rather seeks confrontation and trouble, with the aim of presenting him to world public opinion as an inhuman figure who rejects life, which makes it easier for the occupation to justify its oppressive practices of killing, destruction and displacement.

Basharat asserts that the occupation seeks to obliterate the human dimension of the religious life of the Palestinians and to tighten control over it, in an attempt to exploit religious occasions, especially Islamic ones, to impose a new reality that serves its interests.

Basharat points out that the Israeli measures in the city of Jerusalem, especially in Al-Aqsa Mosque, are an example of this exploitation, as strict restrictions are imposed on the entry of worshipers, the gates of the mosque are closed, and Palestinians are prevented from reaching places of worship under flimsy security pretexts.

Basharat points out that the occupation uses the "security pretext" to justify its repressive measures, claiming that it is preventing chaos and maintaining security, but the real goal is to subjugate the Palestinians and force them to accept the facts it imposes on the ground.

Basharat believes that this policy is part of attempts to “re-engineer the Palestinian mentality” so that it accepts the occupation’s measures as a fait accompli that cannot be changed.

Basharat points out that the Israeli occupation seeks to divert attention from its escalating crimes against the Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Basharat explains that Israel exploits issues such as its measures during the month of Ramadan and the restrictions on worshippers to divert attention from the destruction and killing it is carrying out, whether in the Gaza Strip, where areas there are witnessing systematic genocide, or in the West Bank, where Palestinians are subjected to abuse, displacement and home demolitions, especially in the camps in the northern West Bank.

He points out that the occupation is trying to present these issues as a priority and of utmost importance to the world, with the aim of exporting a new agenda that is in line with its narrative, and distracting the media and international public opinion from the massacres and gross violations it is committing against the Palestinians.

In contrast, Basharat stresses that the Palestinian always proves that he is a person who loves life, seeks to live in peace, and invests the month of Ramadan and other religious occasions as stations for worship and drawing closer to God.

He stresses that the images that emerged in recent years from Al-Aqsa Mosque, which showed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians performing their prayers in a spiritual atmosphere before they were restricted by the occupation, are clear evidence that the Palestinian seeks to practice his religious rituals freely, without any intention of clashing or confrontation.

Basharat believes that the Israeli occupation is the only party that is disturbing this atmosphere, through arbitrary measures aimed at imposing a new reality that serves its interests, pointing out that the Palestinians, despite all the restrictions, continue to affirm their right to practice their religious rituals freely, and their adherence to their lives and legitimate rights.

Israel tries to portray the conflict as religious

Writer and political analyst Adnan Al-Sabah asserts that Israel always tries to portray the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a religious conflict between Islam and Judaism, while the truth is that the conflict is between a people suffering under occupation and an occupying state that practices oppression and settlement.

Al-Sabah explains that there is a recurring Israeli narrative that claims that the month of Ramadan is a month of escalation of resistance work, but he stresses that resistance has never been linked to a religious occasion or a specific time period, but rather is a natural result of the existence of the occupation and its continued oppression of the Palestinians.

Al-Sabah says: “The Palestinian issue is not a purely religious issue, but rather a national issue for a people struggling for freedom and independence. It is true that religious feelings stimulate the national conscience, but they are not the basis of the conflict. The occupation is the core of the problem.”

Al-Sabah points out that Israel seeks to exploit Islamophobia in the West by portraying Islam as an aggressive and extremist religion, and to use this to rally world public opinion against the Palestinians, and to legitimize its oppressive policies.

Al-Sabah confirms that "Israel is not satisfied with this in Palestine only, but is trying to export this narrative to other countries in the region whenever it feels there is a threat to its interests or wants to achieve expansionist ambitions."

Al-Sabah points out that Israel uses all means to perpetuate this image, including promoting terms such as “Islamic terrorism” and linking the Palestinian resistance to terrorism, with the aim of distorting the legitimate Palestinian struggle before the world.

Al-Sabah stresses that the real terrorism is what Israel practices by imposing restrictions on worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque, preventing Palestinians from practicing their religious rituals freely, in addition to the policies of killing, settlement, and displacement.

He says: "Israel is trying to exploit everything related to Islam to distort it and show it as an extremist religion that is hostile to Judaism, while the truth is completely the opposite. Islam is a religion of tolerance and respect for other heavenly religions."

Al-Sabah explains that the Zionist movement has been seeking for decades to portray the conflict in the region as a religious conflict, with the aim of gaining the support of forces hostile to Islam, and diverting attention from the essence of the Palestinian issue, which is occupation and settler colonialism.

Al-Sabah stresses the need to confront misleading Israeli propaganda and adhere to the fact that the Palestinian issue is a national liberation issue, not a religious conflict.

Al-Sabah asserts that Islam has never been an aggressive religion, and has never waged wars against other religions, but has always been a religion that respects pluralism and coexistence, calling for exposing the Israeli narrative that attempts to demonize Islam and exploit Western fears of terrorism to achieve political and military gains.

1. Weak security pretexts to impose more restrictions and collective punishments

Writer and political analyst Samer Anabtawi confirms that the Israeli occupation is exploiting the holy month of Ramadan to intensify its repressive measures against the Palestinians, using flimsy security pretexts to impose more restrictions and collective punishments. He points out that these policies are not new, but rather extend back decades, as the occupation has been making life miserable for Palestinians during religious and national occasions since the first Intifada, preventing them from celebrating and being happy, which even affected children.

Anbatawi explains that Israel is escalating its military operations and raids in the West Bank during the month of Ramadan, especially in cities such as Jenin, Tulkarm and Nablus, in an attempt to terrorize Palestinians and prevent them from living their normal lives. It also deliberately imposes strict restrictions on the movement of Palestinians by setting up military checkpoints, tightening security measures, and preventing worshipers from reaching the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Anbatawi points out that the month of Ramadan has a special sanctity for Muslims, as it represents a month of worship and drawing closer to God, in addition to its economic importance that benefits the Palestinians through increased commercial and economic activity. However, the occupation exploits this month in order to justify its oppressive policies in advance.

Anbatawi says: “Israel always promotes claims that the month of Ramadan witnesses an increase in Palestinian operations against it, but in reality it uses these claims as a cover to practice collective punishment against the Palestinians and impose retaliatory measures that have nothing to do with security.”

Anbatawi confirms that the occupation constantly resorts to the policy of collective punishment to punish the Palestinians collectively for any resistance incident that occurs in the West Bank, where a tight siege is imposed on villages and camps, roads are closed, and wide-scale arrest campaigns are launched, which makes the Palestinians suffer from severe restrictions instead of easing their suffering during the holy month.

Anbatawi asserts that the occupation does not only aim to achieve security as it claims, but rather seeks to humiliate the Palestinians, break their will, and erase their national identity through these oppressive measures, explaining that Israel wants to see a submissive and surrendered Palestinian people, subject to its tyranny without resistance.

Regarding the occupation’s claims that the month of Ramadan is witnessing an escalation in Palestinian operations, Anabtawi stresses that these claims are not based on facts, but rather aim to create new pretexts to tighten the noose on the Palestinians, saying: “These claims are nothing but an attempt to legitimize the increasing Israeli violations. The Palestinian resistance is not linked to a month or a religious occasion, but rather is a natural reaction to the continued occupation and its repression.”

Anbatawi stresses that Israel will not stop using the month of Ramadan and other religious and national occasions as a pretext to continue oppressing the Palestinians, which is why the Israeli narrative that promotes the Palestinians as a source of constant threat must be exposed, while the occupation is the party that practices the real terrorism through killing, settlement, and systematic oppression.