What is memory, and what is its relationship to identity? This question has been a central theme in the ongoing conversation between Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe, two prominent anti-Zionist Jewish thinkers who have devoted considerable attention to Palestine. 

Israelis, with their large and various propaganda tools, sought to portray the situation as normal and that everything was going well.

Some Arab states, including UAE, Bahrain and Morocco, normalized relations with Israel within the Abraham Accords. Also, Saudi Arabia was about to normalize its relationship with Israel on October 14, 2023, but the move was abruptly halted by Hamas's Al-Aqsa Storm Operation, which erupted on October 7. 

Even the UAE ambassador to Tel Aviv visited the head of Jewish scholars and asked for his blessing. He blessed the ambassador too! 

But the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation served as a stark reminder that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is far from over and that Palestinian memory remains a powerful force. 

Israel was pretending that everything was normal and as if the Palestine issue was no longer a concern and that Palestinians were managing a normal life! This narrative was shattered by the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation. 

David Ben-Gurion, one of the founders of the Israeli regime, once expressed the hope that the Palestinian issue would fade away over time and younger generations grow up unaware of their history. 

"Palestinian old men and women die and children forget the issue of Palestine. In the future, there will be no trace or memory of Palestine,” Ben-Gurion stated.

The Palestinian resistance fighters symbolize the unwavering spirit of Palestinian nationalism and the enduring memory of their homeland. Many of them were born after Ben-Gurion's death in 1973, demonstrating that the Palestinian struggle is not confined to a specific generation.

Chomsky explained that Israel's desire to erase Palestinian memory stems from a deep-seated fear of Palestinian identity and its inherent challenge to the legitimacy of the Israeli state. 

Chomsky has carefully explained this point:
It’s quite standard for those who hold the clubs to say: “Forget about everything that happened and let’s just go on from here.” In other words, “I’ve got what I want, and you forget what your concerns are. To forget about the past means forgetting about the future because the past involves aspirations, hopes, many of them entirely justified, that will be dealt with in the future if you pay attention to them.” (1)

In fact, we build the future with hope and reliance on the past. If we forget the past, the future fades away and we will not have an ideal image for the future. 

In an environment marked by despair, the potential for complete annihilation of a nation looms large, as exemplified by the actions of the Israeli government and global Zionism. 

This destructive agenda has been relentlessly pursued through a range of strategies ever since the occupation of Palestine. The tactics employed include changing names and destroying Palestinian villages, demolishing historic neighborhoods in al-Quds under the guise of road construction, and dismantling Palestinian homes on various pretexts.

Perhaps most egregiously, the loss of Palestinian lives through acts of violence is a pivotal aspect of a comprehensive project aimed at physical, historical, geographical, and cultural annihilation of an entire nation.

Years ago, Sarkis Naoum, a Lebanese Christian journalist, emphasized in a significant article titled Judaization of Jerusalem that the Israeli government harbors the intention of ensuring that "no Palestinian houses" stand in al-Quds, aiming for a scenario where "no Palestinians" reside in al-Quds.  

Throughout the intifada and the ongoing Gaza war, a distressing pattern emerged as the Israeli government and extreme Zionism also extended their hostility to Arab-speaking Christians. 

Instances abound where Zionists assail churches and prevent religious ceremonies. Drawing a parallel with the harassment of Muslims at Al-Aqsa Mosque, wherein Zionists desecrate the holy site and assault worshippers. 

The actions reveal the Israeli notion, echoing the sentiment that others should vacate the land and yield to the establishment of the Jewish state. 

It is evident that support for Israel's efforts to depopulate Palestine from the Palestinians is not confined to Israel and extends to Europe as well. A peculiar aspect of this support is the widespread influence of Christian Zionism, particularly featuring in the United States. 

This influence was underscored by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during his visit to Tel Aviv at the start of the Gaza war in which he declared, "I came to Israel first as a Jew." Adding to the Jewish representation in key positions, Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, is also a Jew. Notably, President Biden himself proudly proclaims, "I am not a Jew, but I am a Zionist." 

In essence, all the elements of the plan to dismantle Palestine appear to be falling into place. The Abraham Accords, signed with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, seemed poised for the inclusion of Saudi Arabia. 

In the lead-up to October 7, Israeli political and security officials embarked on visits to Riyadh, resulting in a diminishing focus on the Palestine issue in discussions. 

Over 100 days have elapsed since the onset of the Gaza war, marking a significant chapter in Israel's 75-year history. Remarkably, the Israeli army has incurred more human casualties in this conflict than in all of its preceding wars. Despite the passage of time, the Israeli military has fallen short of achieving the three declared objectives set at the commencement of the war on Gaza.

Foremost among these objectives was the aspiration to eradicate Hamas. The strategy envisioned killing Hamas leaders, along with the capture of Hamas fighters, so the Zionists pumped water into the tunnels used by Hamas.

A parallel desire for such outcomes was evident during the summer war of 2006 in southern Lebanon. At that time, the Zionist forces had readied prisons to detain between 10,000 to 15,000 members of Lebanese Hezbollah, confining them within these prepared facilities. 

Fostering hope for the future serves as a pivotal element in undermining the agenda aimed at removing Palestine from the map and erasing the memory of the Palestinian movement. 

In the present day, Palestinian mujahids boldly articulate their aspirations for the liberation of Al-Quds.

Yossi Cohen, the former chief of Mossad, penned an article in Haaretz, saying, “We must pack our bags and return to Russia, Poland, Romania." 

It is reported that over one million Jews have fled to their ancestral homelands since October 7. This signifies a noteworthy reversal in the global Zionist narrative that advocated for the mass migration of Jews to Palestine.

The Zionists, by kindling the spark of a return to al-Quds, seized control of Palestine. In doing so, they established an artificial nation founded on disjointed ethnicity and revived a dead language.  

This prompts the question: Why can't the Palestinians, drawing upon their rich history of civilization, culture, and language, sustain the memory of Palestine and assert their right to a distinct land, country, and government? 

(1) Noam Chomsky& Ilan Pappe, On Palestine, Penguin Books, 2015 p 49