2. العدد الثاني - النسخة الانجليزية

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Browsing 2. العدد الثاني - النسخة الانجليزية by Author "Said Abu Ali"

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    Editorial of al-Maqdisiyah – Issue No. 2
    (Al-Quds University, 2025-05) Said Abu Ali
    This second English-language issue of al-Maqdisiyah is published in a moment of grave and fateful developments surrounding the Palestinian cause. It emerges while Gaza endures a campaign of annihilation—a war of extermination and calculated destruction targeting every vestige of life—spilling into the West Bank, particularly its northern regions (Jenin and Tulkarm), alongside Area C and the city of Jerusalem. This ferocious assault has laid bare the true objectives of the war: the forced displacement of Gaza’s inhabitants through the ruthless deployment of military machinery against a defenseless civilian population, and the deliberate eradication of all means of dignified existence. The intent is unmistakable—to leave no path open to the surviving civilians but what the occupation cynically describes as “voluntary migration.” Such an outcome aligns with the vision once voiced by Trump: that the war should persist until its aim is achieved—displacing the people of Gaza, relocating them beyond their homeland into neighboring countries, chiefly Egypt. Only then, it is claimed, can Gaza be “rebuilt”—a process envisioned to stretch over many years, culminating in the creation of a “Middle Eastern Riviera” under American ownership or control. In this vision, the land is not homeland, but real estate; its people not rightful heirs, but dispensable. This is a vision blind to the unalienable rights of a people, blind to the fact that Gaza and its people are an inseparable part of the Palestinian nation and its historic land. Naturally, this vision dismisses entirely the foundations of international law, tramples the principles and resolutions of the international community, and violates—flagrantly—the statutes of global justice. It stands in contempt of the rulings of international courts that have called for an end to genocide and forced displacement, and that have recognized the Palestinian people’s right to self- determination—rights foundational to peace and stability, which cannot flourish unless justice is done for the Palestinian people through the realization of the two- state solution, long echoed by the conscience of the world. Yet such a solution, long yearned for by the peoples of the region and beyond, demands first and foremost that the international community intensify its efforts— rooted in legal, moral, and humanitarian responsibility—to uphold collective security, defend human dignity, and halt the machinery of extermination. The international community must face down all efforts to uproot, erase, and silence the cause of Palestine. And if this community is to oppose Trump’s vision of exiling Gaza’s people and imposing American dominion over their ravaged land—land soaked in the blood of men, women, and children—then it must move beyond expressions of condemnation and revulsion. It must act—urgently and through all available means—to bring this genocide to an end, a genocide unfolding before the very eyes and ears of the world. This war, and the unprecedented atrocities it continues to produce under siege and starvation, pierce the conscience of any soul still awake, forcing us to ask: what is left of our humanity? What meaning does human dignity still hold? At the same time, the informed observer and seasoned politician alike know well that the genocidal campaign in Gaza, with its tactics and aims, is not disconnected from Jerusalem. Rather, the world’s preoccupation with the war has been seized upon to obscure the ongoing Judaization of the Holy City. These efforts, relentless and systematic, are conducted under the cover of the Trump administration’s recognition of Israel’s annexation of Jerusalem and the relocation of the U.S. embassy to the city. Given al-Maqdisiyah’s exclusive focus on Jerusalem, this issue is devoted to themes that speak to the present and future of the city. It begins with a critical overview of the events of 2024, a year marked by continuous assault and profound changes—both geographic and demographic—aimed at dismantling Jerusalem’s Arab identity and advancing settlement and ethnic cleansing schemes. We also examine the occupation’s repeated violations of the sanctity of Islamic and On this front, al-Maqdisiyah is proud to launch a dedicated series of articles based on a doctoral dissertation defended at al-Quds University by researcher Kamel Rayan. His work, titled The Legal Characterization of the Current “Status Quo” at al-Aqsa Mosque under Public International Law, will offer a rigorous legal lens into this critical matter. This issue also includes two vital articles: one on The Multiple Faces of Jerusalem: From Contradiction to Celebrating Diversity, which explores coexistence and the richness of demographic diversity that defines Jerusalem’s character as a city of heavenly faiths; and another essay on Palestine and Sartre in Contemporary Arab Thought, probing Sartre’s philosophical frameworks and their relevance to the Palestinian question. Furthermore, this issue features the annual report by the Jerusalem Governorate documenting Israeli violations in the city, and a summary of the oral argument presented by international lawyer Professor Ralph Wilde before the International Court of Justice on behalf of the League of Arab States, concerning the legal consequences of Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. The issue concludes with a tribute to a towering Jerusalemite figure—Shams al- Din al-Maqdisi—widely recognized in historical and scholarly sources as the greatest Arab traveler known to history. His legacy continues to illuminate the cultural grandeur of Jerusalem. As al-Maqdisiyah aspires to sustain its English-language publication, it extends an open invitation to all scholars and objective writers concerned with Jerusalem’s fate. Submissions originally in Arabic are welcome, as translation support is available. We likewise welcome observations and suggestions that may further elevate the magazine and deepen its contribution to Jerusalem’s identity—as a sacred city of faith, tolerance, and peace.
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    The Jerusalem Landscape in 2024
    (Al-Quds University, 2025-05) Said Abu Ali
    As Israel’s relentless campaign of annihilation and destruction continues to ravage Gaza, its criminal machinery has, by the end of this dark year, claimed the lives of over 150,000 martyrs and wounded countless others. The devastation is unfathomable, with over 80% of Gaza’s infrastructure obliterated under the weight of more than a thousand tons of explosives—greater in destructive power than the atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The resulting wreckage, according to UN estimates, will take over a year to clear. The world stands paralyzed, unable to halt any aspect of this catastrophe, including the ruthless starvation campaign—a humiliating indictment of the international community’s moral integrity. This siege of death extends beyond Gaza to the West Bank, where the aggression rages on unabated, marked by systematic killings, demolitions, mass arrests, forced displacements, settlement expansion, and the relentless Judaization of Palestinian lands—all sanctioned and declared as official Israeli policy. Throughout 2024, Jerusalem has borne the brunt of an intensified and expanding campaign of Judaization, with Israeli authorities executing their schemes with near-total impunity. A deafening silence pervades the political and media spheres, as if Jerusalem’s isolation and transformation into an Israeli stronghold were a foregone conclusion, barely warranting protest—let alone resistance. The prevailing Arab and Islamic responses remain largely confined to rhetorical stances that underscore a state of impotence rather than offering tangible action. It is precisely this dichotomy—between Israel’s escalating measures and the Arab and Islamic world’s reactions—that al-Maqdisiyah seeks to examine.