By: Firas Al-Tairawi – Chicago

In a dangerous escalation that exposes the true nature of the Zionist colonial project, growing calls within the Israeli Knesset to annex the West Bank and Jordan Valley represent a blatant violation of international law and a complete derailment of any remaining hopes for a just resolution to the Palestinian cause. This move is not an isolated one, but rather a continuation of an entrenched policy of occupation based on expansion, uprooting, and domination.

Annexation in the West Bank… and Genocide in Gaza: Two Sides of the Same Crime

As the annexation plans unfold in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, the Gaza Strip is witnessing one of the most horrific waves of collective punishment in modern history — a true genocidal war targeting lives, homes, and nature alike. For months, the occupation has relentlessly bombed residential areas, destroyed infrastructure, targeted hospitals and schools, and killed thousands of unarmed civilians, bringing back some of the darkest chapters in human history.

Gaza is paying the price for its resilience — for holding onto its rights and dignity. With every martyr and every home destroyed, the truth becomes more evident: the Zionist project does not distinguish between one part of Palestine and another. Genocide in Gaza, annexation in the West Bank, and Judaization in Jerusalem — all are pieces of the same plan: the total erasure of the Palestinian cause.

The PLO and National Leadership: A Heightened Responsibility in These Times

In the face of these existential threats, the urgent need for a unified national stance is undeniable, led by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Its historic role in leading the Palestinian struggle gives it both the legitimacy and the responsibility to unify ranks and activate all political and grassroots mechanisms in confronting the Zionist project.

What is required today is not temporary reactions, but a comprehensive national resistance program rooted in core principles, responsive to the current phase, and based on:
  •   Activating and expanding all forms of popular resistance across cities, villages, and refugee camps.
  •   Intensifying diplomatic and legal efforts in international arenas to hold the occupation accountable for its crimes.
  •   Strengthening the internal front and enhancing the resilience of communities, especially in annexation-threatened or besieged areas.
  •   Serious efforts toward restoring national unity, as it is the essential safeguard of any Palestinian liberation project.

This is not merely a call to confront, but a call to build a comprehensive national vision that restores core principles and involves all forces, factions, and institutions in the battle for survival and liberation — away from division and failed bets.

Palestine in the Eye of the Storm… and the People Are the Ultimate Bet

The occupation believes that time is on its side, and that annexation will become a permanent reality — just as it did in Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. But what it fails to understand is that the Palestinian people cannot be defeated, will not forget, and will never compromise on their homeland. From the rubble of Gaza, from the hills of the West Bank, and from prison cells, the same voice rises:
“We will not kneel, we will not leave, and we will never recognize the legitimacy of occupation.”

Conclusion: A Battle for Destiny Requires Unity and Resolve

This moment marks one of the most dangerous phases the Palestinian cause has ever faced. But within every danger lies an opportunity — an opportunity to regroup, to renew the Palestinian national project, and to launch a comprehensive resistance deeply rooted in the land, visible on the ground, and backed by growing public awareness and international solidarity.

Let it be written on this land, as it has been throughout our long history:
“No right is lost as long as a people defends it, and the state of occupation was built on shifting sands.”

Arab-Palestinian writer and activist, member of the General Secretariat of the Arab Network for Culture, Opinion, and Media.