By Taghreed Saadeh
As we observe what is happening in our Palestinian society, how matters have evolved, and what is being expressed by Palestinian opposition forces as well as by some academics and media figures, it is essential that our motivation be love for Palestine, not the desire to prevail for a particular point of view.
A good citizen is one who understands both their rights and their duties. It is their right to demand what they believe they deserve, but first they must have fulfilled their obligations toward their community and contributed to its building and development. Constant criticism of the Palestinian Authority, without reflecting on the role and responsibility of the citizen, is a phenomenon that has accompanied the Authority since its early stages. The complexity of circumstances has led to placing the entire burden of responsibility on the Authority, as if society itself were outside the equation.
How can we speak of the Authority’s shortcomings when many people do not provide their community with what is required of them? What is happening in terms of settler attacks, for example, is also the responsibility of the local community, which is expected to form popular protection groups and maintain a presence in threatened areas, rather than relying solely on the language of complaint.
As for corruption, it is unfortunately widespread throughout society as a whole, to the point that it can be felt in the smallest details of daily life even in the offices of those whom some describe as “nationalists.” Therefore, there must be comprehensive community oversight, where everyone holds everyone else accountable, instead of placing the blame solely on the Authority. This is not a defense of it, I have previously written about many of it, but the truth is that our society is in dire need of genuine organization and comprehensive oversight, because corruption exists everywhere.
When it comes to principles, it is unacceptable for a person to belong to an organization, receive a salary from it, and then publicly attack it under the banner of “criticism” or “concern.” Either you commit, or you resign. This unprincipled opportunism, which its practitioners justify as a “right,” cannot be ethically accepted. Human integrity requires respecting the institution from which you receive your livelihood; if you are no longer convinced by it, the clear option is to leave, not to benefit while simultaneously undermining it. That does not fall within the realm of courage, but rather within the realm of opportunism.
In universities, the problem is even more serious. When we engage with some university professors, we find that their positions have become directly influenced by social media, without verification or scrutiny of information. Their opposition has formed without a clear intellectual methodology or a commitment to accuracy, qualities that should be fundamental for those who teach knowledge. When Facebook becomes a source of academic conviction, any dialogue becomes impossible, and the professor shifts from being a conscious critic to a promoter of ignorance. This is said of some, not all; not every opposing voice is ignorant, and that is certainly not the claim here.
In the media, the picture is no better. There are platforms that are funded to speak against the Palestinian Authority, having emerged from ideological disputes, such as those linked to Hamas, which attacks the Authority’s approach despite seeking to achieve part of what the Authority has achieved. There is also the internal Fatah conflict, which has pushed some parties to establish and support platforms that attack the Authority day and night, not in the interest of the national good, but as part of an internal power struggle. This constitutes a real media scandal and undermines the credibility of the discourse.
Criticism is a legitimate right for everyone, but this right requires honesty, accuracy, and serious effort in follow-up and analysis. Political writing is not a pastime; it is a heavy responsibility amid this flood of misinformation and rumors. We are not required to be right all the time, but correctness should be the dominant feature of our positions.
Above all, we must look at Palestine’s interest through awareness, not ideology, and through an understanding of reality as it is now, not as imagined amid the abundance of rumors that grip some people. The recent experiences of Iraq and Syria should be a harsh lesson for us.
Perhaps we will take heed..
And perhaps we will truly become good Palestinians.
27 Total Count
