Youth leaders met for Palestine on Al-Quds Day

The World Anti-Imperialist Youth Union (WAYU) brought together youth leaders from the West and South Asia by videoconference on Al-Quds Day. While the leading youth organizations of Palestine, Fatah, Hamas and PFLP Youth participated in the event led by the Youth Union of Türkiye (TGB), which is the term secretary of WAYU. Youth leaders from Lebanon and Indonesia also took part. In addition to TGB President Dilek Çınar from Türkiye, Chairman of Vatan Party Vanguard Youth Barış Demiralay also attended the event.

‘WE FIGHT FOR THE HUMANITY’

Speaking at the meeting, Raed Debiy, Head of the International Relations Office of the Fatah Youth affiliated with the Palestinian ruling party said that Al-Quds Day is commemorated to remind that Quds has been under occupation for 74 years. Stating that it is important to take action, not slogans, for the Palestinian cause, Debiy said that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are trying to reach Jerusalem under the Zionist occupation.

‘LET US LEAVE DISPUTES FOR THE NATIONAL UNITY OF PALESTINE’

Debiy stated that the only enemy is imperialism and the Zionist regime, and emphasized that all parties in Palestine should unite on one front and the disagreements should be resolved for Palestine:

“We believe that we are on the same front against the occupation with our hands, our weapons and our will. For national unity, it should always be our priority to end the division and make peace with our brothers in Gaza. We believe that there is only one enemy for us in the Fatah Youth Movement, and that is Israel. We are on the same front as all of you against imperialism and Zionism.”

Speaking at the event, Mohammad Nabil Farwana, Head of the Gaza Islamic Unit of Hamas Youth, also emphasized the importance of common and practical struggle and drew attention to the importance of ensuring Palestinian national unity:

“We can talk about more than one method. We do not have to do the same thing, we have to fight for the same cause in different areas. What my comrade Raed Debiy said was very important. Now let us talk about what we shall do. Because the Palestinian cause is not an easy one to resolve. This case can only succeed by overcoming the difficulties.”

Mohammad Al-Ghoul, President of the Palestine Progressive Youth Union affiliated to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), emphasized that the Palestinians became conscious of the plans of Zionism and that the resistance reached de facto unity from the unity of the heart.

‘NORMALIZATION WITH ISRAEL MEANS LEAVING AL-QUDS TO ITS FATE’

Stating that the Palestinian cause is a struggle for dignity and freedom, Palestinian youth leaders said that they are ready to pay a great price to establish an independent Palestinian state. Raed Debiy stated that those who made concessions with Israel under the name of ‘normalization’ left the Palestinian cause to its fate:

“I want to say to those who decided to leave their principles and Jerusalem very cheap for normalization from here; the role models of Palestinian youth are people who are martyrs for freedom and justice, and realistic leaders. We know from the very beginning that our path is very long because we seek freedom and dignity. We will create opportunities with our blood and soul to establish an independent Palestinian state with sacred Jerusalem as its capital.”

‘THE WEST SHOWED ITS HYPOCRISY IN UKRAINE’

Referring to the embargo and condemnation of the USA and Europe against Russia in the Ukraine crisis, Debiy described not applying the same attitude to Israel as hypocrisy:

“While the West hesitated to even take a step to end the apartheid occupation in Palestine, it took action on the first day of the operation in Ukraine. The world has clearly seen the true face of the US, Europe and the hypocritical international community.”

‘ISRAEL IS A BOMB READY TO EXPLODE’

Stating that the Zionist regime in Israel poses a great danger to the countries of the region and the world, Farwana emphasized that the economic and commercial relations established with Israel cost the lives of Palestinians:

“Our most important duty is to figure out that every penny the countries, which has any commercial relationship with Israel and pay to Israel, turns to the Palestinians as bullets. Our task is to tell the world how dangerous Israel is for our region because Israel is a bomb ready to explode.”

Mohammad Al-Ghoul, Chairman of the Palestine Progressive Youth Union affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, stressed that Israel threatens not only Palestine but all the countries in the region.

‘THE ARAB YOUTH IS ISOLATED FROM THE NATIONAL IDENTITY’

Emphasizing that Israel’s strategy of oppression and intimidation against the Palestinian people consists of economic, military, psychological and cultural layers, Al-Ghoul pointed out that the youth in Palestine and other Arab countries are trying to be detached from their national identity through Zionist historiography and fabricated cultural studies:

“Israel is trying to eliminate Palestinians’ identity and sentiment of independence. By targeting the national consciousness of the youth of Palestinians and other Arab countries, it tries to de-identify them and adopt their own fabricated cultural production.”

‘THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE IS THE TURKISH AND TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN CYPRUS CAUSE’

Participating in the event, Vatan Party Vanguard Youth Chairman Barış Demiralay stated that the Palestinian cause is the common cause of the oppressed nations and emphasized that Al-Quds is the honour of the Turkish nation. Demiralay stated that the conditions for solid alliances have been created between the countries of the region and that the liberation comes from a common struggle from the Blue Homeland struggle of Türkiye to Palestine and Asia-Pacific:

“Al-Quds is our honour and our first Qibla. Therefore, the Palestinian cause is the Turkish cause. Today is not just Al-Quds Day. Today is also Ankara Day, Nicosia, Beirut, Islamabad, Damascus, Tehran, Baghdad, Kabul, Sana’a, Tripoli, Nicosia, Jakarta, Moscow and Beijing Day. Because imperialist and Zionist embargoes and blockades threaten our homes. From the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, from Basra to the Asia-Pacific, the United States and Israel have turned their barrels towards our homes and stared sassily at our flag and honour.”

Chairman Demiralay stated that the self-confidence of Turkish youth and youths of oppressed nations have a common history of struggle against imperialism and Zionism:

“We state with self-confidence and will as the great leader of the Turks, Atatürk, said in the darkest years of Turkish history: They will leave as they came! We will not allow invading murderers on any land or sea as we raided their military bases in Turkey and put a sack over their heads 6 times.

Salah al-Din Ayyub has never died in these lands! The heavy defeats they suffered in Vietnam, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Karabakh, Türkiye and Palestine are just the beginning of the end for them. As Turkish youth, we reiterate our oath; a fully independent and free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital will be established!”

‘THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE KEEP MAKING HISTORY’

As another representative from Türkiye in addition to the Vatan Party at the event, TGB President Dilek Çınar also stated that Al-Quds Day is a day that reminds Turkish youth of their duties. Stating that the Palestinian people have been making history against Israeli Zionism in the last year, President Çınar emphasized that imperialism and Zionism are being defeated:

“The victory of Al-Quds Sword and the rising resistance in Palestine are driving not only Zionist Israel but also its supporter Western imperialist countries into panic and despair. Zionist Israel is aware that their so-called iron domes cannot protect them, and they are in fear. Even the United States is helpless because of Israel’s defeats against Palestine.”

‘THE THREAT AND STRUGGLE ARE COMMON’

President Çınar emphasized that the USA and Israel threaten the countries in the region through terrorist organizations and stated that the absolute victory comes from the struggle together in the establishing new Asian civilization:

“The U.S. imperialism is trying to provoke the countries of the region against each other by using its pawns such as PKK-YPG, PYD, DAESH, FETO and countries that have surrendered to it, such as Greece. The aim of the USA is to keep the First Israel State alive and to establish the second and third Israel states.

However, cooperation between Türkiye, Syria, Iran and Russia has blocked the US plans to establish a puppet Kurdistan, also known as the Second State of Israel, in our region.

The threat is common, the struggle is common. We will defeat the chaos plans of imperialism and Zionism targeting our countries by means of the alliances and collaborations we are establishing.”

‘VICTORY OF AL-QUDS SWORD CRIPPLED ZIONISM’

Ali Hajj Hassan, Head of Hezbollah Student and Youth Unit, cited the military victory of Palestine against Israel in the summer of 2021 as an example, pointing out that the liberation of Jerusalem is more possible than ever and normalization with Israel will flareback backfire on this context:

“Today we are on the first anniversary of the Battle of Al-Quds Sword, which broke the back of this Zionist formation strategically and politically. Israeli aggression was trying to intimidate, kill and destroy the Palestinian resistance and has been supported by the Western colonial powers. But together we will end the Zionist existence because this fact has now been proven.”

‘ISLAMIC COUNTRIES SHOULD BE UNITED’

Syafii Efendi, President of the Youth Union of Indonesia and the Representative of the Islamic Youth Organization (OIY) of Indonesia, stated that Israel is not only the common enemy of Muslims but also humanity. He emphasized that Islamic countries should fight together in order to respond in the same fields against Israel’s long and comprehensive war against Palestine, and that youth has a duty to do so. He pointed out the importance of Indonesia, which gained its independence under the leadership of Sukarno, to take the struggle from a diplomatic dimension to a strategic one, as a considerable Islamic country.

‘IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WAYU ADOPTS THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE’

Youth leaders of three organizations from Palestine thanked WAYU for adopting the Palestinian cause and uniting youth from different countries in the Palestinian cause and expressed their hope that the Independent Palestine Conferences will be held in liberated Jerusalem next year. Palestinian youth leaders also emphasized that they are ready to work with all anti-imperialist countries and organizations for a common struggle.