Fatah Anniversary Celebrations to Become Protest Against Trump’s Jerusalem Decision

TEL AVIV — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement plans to turn events surrounding the organization’s 53rd anniversary celebrations into “angry protests” against President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Fatah leadership member Samir Burdeini told Breitbart Jerusalem.

Fatah has already declared that the movement’s 53rd year will be the “year of confrontation” in the shadow of what the movement baselessly claims is an Israeli-American plot to destroy the Palestinian cause.

“There is general agreement within the movement to turn all the events marking the breakout of the Palestinian revolution into angry protests in order to maintain and intensify the popular intifada that began when Trump made his hostile and aggressive declaration that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel,” said Burdeini.

He added that the speech given by Abbas when lighting a special beacon to mark the beginning of Fatah’s 53rd year highlighted the Palestinian people’s commitment to the creation of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. Abbas did not explain how Trump’s decision impedes that goal, nor did he mention that the PA turned down numerous Israeli statehood offers that would have given the Palestinians a capital in eastern Jerusalem.

“The Palestinian Authority leadership continues to maintain contacts with Arab and international sources to highlight the Palestinians’ commitment to peace and that the Palestinians are committed to Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state,” said Burdeini.

He also said one of the steps the Palestinians feel must be taken in response to Trump’s declaration is the success of reconciliation efforts with Hamas.

“The next few days will see a breakthrough in the issue of reconciliation,” said Burdeini. “We want the government to begin fulfilling its role in the Gaza Strip to reach a solution on the issue of Hamas government employees and Hamas’ integration into PLO institutions and to begin preparations for general elections.”