Released Prisoners: Do They Hold the Key to Saving the Palestinian Political Entity?

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) was not created, neither in the consciousness of its founders nor in the hearts of its people, as an administrative body to manage the details of daily life; rather, it was conceived as a political lever for the national liberation project, a crossing point from the geography of refuge to the horizon of a state. The idea was for this authority to be a solid nucleus for an independent political entity, whose features were shaped by the blood of martyrs, the steadfastness of prisoners, and the pain of the wounded who redefined national meaning on their bodies. However, this vision gradually eroded, almost turning into its opposite.

The Illusion of Statehood and the Squandering of Power Elements Under the burden of relying on a sterile negotiation path, the Authority treated agreements as fate, not choice, excessively committing while gradually losing its tools of power. The Authority ceased to be a pressing political actor; instead, it transformed – due to international and regional pressures – into a service structure that alleviates the occupation's burdens, rather than increasing its costs. This transformation not only weakened its negotiating position but also deepened the trust gap between it and the street, and eroded the core of the national project.

From Potential Partner to “Greater Enemy” In contrast, the occupation did not reward this functional slippage; instead, it escalated its aggression. Far-right figures like Smotrich and Ben Gvir no longer see the Authority as a weak partner, but as a “greater enemy” that must be dismantled. The incitement discourse that links it to scenarios of an upcoming security explosion and another October 7th, which will be undermined by security apparatus commandos, is merely a political prelude to overthrowing the Palestinian entity and replacing it with fragile structures: local administrations or tribal frameworks stripped of their national dimension. This plan has already begun to be officially implemented, with significant successes for settler gangs in this regard, and there are a number of decisions taken by the Israeli government to implement it, including the decision taken today to grant tax exemptions to settlements. Here, the danger becomes existential: either a silent, gradual disintegration, or a confrontation that forces self-redefinition.

The Solid Nucleus: The Last Chance for Salvation Despite this bleak picture, the window for salvation remains open—but it is narrowing. Its key lies not in reproducing the same elites, but in forming a new “historical bloc,” or what can be called the “solid nucleus,” based on the convergence of three streams:

* Released prisoners: with the legitimacy of their struggle and credibility deeply rooted in the people's consciousness. * Palestinian youth: as untamed energy, capable of breaking patterns of helplessness and innovating tools of confrontation. * Civil society: with its institutional expertise and ability to formulate modern programs that move beyond slogans to policies.

This is not a theoretical call, but an objective condition for rebuilding national action on more solid foundations.

Fatah Conference: The Test of the Last Chance The upcoming pivotal moment is embodied in the Fatah movement's conference, which could turn into a turning point—or another station for reproducing the crisis. Its success depends on its ability to produce a leadership that combines the experience of the past with the pulse of the field, a leadership that restores dignity to the competencies that were marginalized, and integrates them with a new generation of actors, with released prisoners at their heart.

The pivotal role of leaders inside prisons, foremost among them Marwan Barghouti, cannot be overlooked, as he is a unifying figure with the ability to re-unite the national mood, bridge the gaps between the street and its institutions, and redefine the Authority and the Organization as instruments of struggle, not merely functional frameworks.

Conclusion: The Moment of Decision In existential moments, neutrality is not a stance, but a disguised withdrawal. The response to Israeli right-wing incitement is not by relying on external forces, but by repositioning internally: by uniting with the street, and building a national salvation program led by a solid nucleus that possesses both legitimacy and capability.

History does not wait for the hesitant, and entities that do not redefine themselves are reshaped by their adversaries. Between annihilation and renewal, the "secret key" remains in the hands of those who paid the price for freedom—if they succeed in transforming sacrifices into a project.