Rafed English
site.site_name : Rafed English

The emergence of Intifada has its roots in various measures taken by Israel after the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991. These measures were not compatible with the peaceful claims of this entity, that is, the unprecedented expansion and occupation of the Palestinian territories, creation of new Jewish settlements, and expansion of the existing ones in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as the demolition of Palestinian houses and their collective punishment.

During these years Intifada began as a spontaneous movement in the occupied territories. The fighters of Intifada were the Palestinian youth who were disappointed at the hollow promises of international organizations and those of the Western governments.

The second round of the Intifada, better know as the "Intifada of Quds", apparently began after a visit by Ariel Sharon the leader of the Likud Party and six other party leaders of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1998. "The protests of the Muslims against this visit led to the assassination of seven and injury of 255 people on the same day. The attack was the most vigorous one after the massacre of 1996 when the Palestinians confronted the Israeli forces in protest to the construction of a tunnel under the Al-Aqsa Mosque in which 60 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed." 83

"The next day, violent demonstrations sparked off in most of the cities of the West Bank and Gaza Strip… The Israeli soldiers fired at the demonstrators… The killing of the 12-year old Palestinian child, Muhammad Al-Dowri… and the broadcast of the shooting scene by international TV networks left a global impact on the developments and caused worldwide condemnation of Israel. The ensuing days witnessed the augmentation of demonstrations in various cities of the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as in the territories occupied since 1938." 84

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83. Haji Yousofi, Mohammad, Al-Aqsa Mosque’s Intifada: Reasons and Consequences (Tehran: Ideological Organization of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran) Autumn 2000, PP. 7-8.

84. Ibid.

Adopted from the book: "Palestine Throbbing Heart of the World of Islam"