Palestine's possibility of a third uprising

Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Dr Hassan Khreisheh said that there are growing signs of a third Palestinian 'uprising', particularly since the resistance in the Gaza Strip and unification of the Palestinian people. In an interview with Arabstoday, Khreisheh said: “It seems that people are beginning to realise that resistance is the only option in the face of occupation.  The new generation is ready and people are united.” “There is another dangerous sign: the Israeli side is trying to introduce a law allowing soldiers to use live ammunition,” he revealed. “Previously the General Commander was the one who decided whether to permit live ammunition or not. According to the new law, any young officer can decide to use live ammunition against Palestinians. I consider this an escalatory step by an occupation hoping to suppress a new intifada,” he said. Dr Khreisheh continued, referring to the fatal shooting of Palestinian teenager, Mohammed Ziad Salayma, on his birthday in Hebron last week."We saw how the Israeli soldier proceeded to shoot. Any other soldier in her position would have done the same, she claimed. But I think it happened against a backdrop of encouragement and incitement by the Israeli military command,” he said. “After clear instructions to soldiers to use firearms to suppress an intifada, this is an Israeli attempt to raise the morale of their soldiers," he argued. Regarding the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, along with Hamas’ 25th anniversary celebrations in the West Bank and the preparations for a similar Fatah celebration in Gaza, Kreisheh said: "I think present circumstances allow for celebrations, whether it is Hamas in the West Bank or Fatah in the Gaza Strip. This reflects the good intentions of the different parties, the intention to move forward with the reconciliation process. I think these ceremonies are necessary to our reconciliation, like the mass gathering in the Gaza Strip after the ceasefire, to celebrate victory and show solidarity with the resistance.” He continued: "I believe, as a deputy in the Legislative Council, that reconciliation must be addressed seriously and the Legislative Council must quickly hold its new parliamentary session. On top of this, all detainees and prisoners must be released.” Kreisheh noted that releasing political detainees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be a good start in ending internal divisions. "We heard in Gaza that some political prisoners have been released and we have heard in the West Bank that some prisoners were released. These are only the beginning,” he said. Moving on to UN recognition of a Palestinian state, the Deputy Speaker added: "This announcement is a symbolic and useful step, and now there are speculations about returning to the negotiating table, whether through a meeting between Jordan's King Abdullah and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.” But there were economic concerns too, claimed Dr Kreisheh. “I think that we should make recognition of a Palestinian state a reality, by building the Palestinian economy away from a dependency on the Israeli economy and by providing a new legislative structure with the formation of a Palestinian constituent assembly,” he said. This should precede an abandonment of relations with Israel, said Kreisheh. “Although we are committed to the Oslo Accords.” Kreisheh concluded: "Discussions about an alternative homeland are an old ploy used by Israeli parties when they want to discuss the problematic relationship with the Arabs. But I think this idea vanished a long time ago, which is why King Abdullah was the first visitor who recognised our Palestinian state and he came to express that belief,” he said.