New generation of Jerusalem Palestinians emerges
The events during the month of Ramadan appear to have given birth to more courageous Palestinian youth activists in Jerusalem, who have maintained smiles in the face of arrest.
For years, researchers focusing on the city of Jerusalem have been sounding the alarms of the Israelization of Palestinians in the city. But if anything, the last few weeks have shown Palestinians in Jerusalem don't only have a strong national backbone but have totally broken the Israeli deterrence efforts by smashing their own wall of fear.
As the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah is increasingly absent due to Israeli policy and their own incompetence, the leaderless Jerusalemites have developed their own agenda and have bonded even more powerfully with their fellow Palestinian citizens of Israel. Social media and cellphone networking were best exemplified May 8 when scores of buses carrying Palestinians from various cities in Israel were stopped and prevented entry into Jerusalem by the Israelis.
With the holy city some 20 kilometers (12 miles) away, the passengers decided to continue on foot. When their story emerged on social media, hundreds of Jerusalemites jumped in their cars and picked up their supportive brethren. Local restaurants extended invitations to the visiting Palestinians to enjoy their iftar meal at their eateries free of charge.
Some social media accounts and broadcasts, some of which were reportedly censored by the tech giants, also documented the protests throughout Palestine. From Jenin to Nazareth to the Gaza Strip, and from Amman to Rabat to London, protests in support of the Jerusalemites were overwhelming and lifted the spirits of those who had chosen to take on the powerful Israeli army with their bare hands and their extraordinary courage.
