During announcing the recommendations of the annual conference "Palaestine Where To?"
The Centre for Policy and Conflict resolution studies at the Arab American University concluded its first annual conference under the title “In the light of local, regional and international variables: Palestine Where To?” held at the university campus in Ramallah for three days with the participation of experts, politicians, and academics both local and international.
Part of the conference
The participants came up with seversal recommendations that allows Palestine to deal with the local, regional, and international variables
The inside forces
Many speakers and participants were convinced that the internal division and its impact on Gazans’ economic situation adversely affect the peoples and nations support for Palestine and opens the way for deals such as the “the century deal”.
The first recommendation: To accelerate the reconciliation process and focus on the ntional intersest regardless of the parties conessions
Digital democracy and social media
There was a near unanimity among speakers on digital diplomacy importance as a social communication mean to serve the Palestinian cause, Palestinians poor use of this medium to publicize their cause, and how much it affected international public opinion, like the image of the refugee girl at Mexico borders separated from her family that led President Trump to stop the policy of separating children from their families.
Also, they stressed that the Palestinians sufferings constantly be shown to the world, and enhance these means use to reach out millions of Palestinians in the diaspora who are influential to the policies of the countries they live in.
The second recommendation: Establish a committee to recruit youths to work on social media and serve the Palestinian question, follow up what the Israeli media publish, address the social media management and oppose what it includes both incitement or terrorism.
Public resistance
In the absence of balance of powers and ensure the peoples support to the Palestinian cause, many speakers considered the peaceful public resistance one of the best weapons available to the Palestinian people; including local, international and the 1948 Palestinian lands campaigns.
The third recommendation: Support and embrace the peaceful public resistance and engage with international lobbies, and focus on the 1948 Palestinians and the Israeli left.
Public opinion and influential opinion of American citizens
Some experts spoke about the Evangelical church influence on President Trump's decisions regarding Palestine, most importantly considering Jerusalem Israel’s capital and transfer the American Embassy to it.
In a recent tweet, the US president admitted that he had been praised by members of the Evangelical Church for moving the embassy more than American Jews did.
The fourth recommendation: Encourage the Evangelical Church in Palestine to take an active part in communicating with its US counterpart through conferences, media, and mutual visits to raise awareness about the Palestinian issue and the Palestinian people rights.
Interantional Law
Speakers noted, the Palestinian leadership role is using the United Nations institutions to serve the Palestinian question, but they fear the decline in support in this aspect due to United States pressure, as in their recent withdrawal from the Human Rights Council to pressure the Council to condone the Israeli government excesses in human rights.
The fifth recommendation: Enlist Palestinian and international experts in international law to provide support to process and follow-up the Palestinian issues at international forums.
Arab peoples support for the Palestinian Question
Due to the Arab leadership confusion in some countries and their fear of US pressure, the speakers felt that the Arab peoples should be given more attention and to communicate with them.
The sixth recommendation: Enhancing communication with Arab peoples through conferences and meetings in different places and involve them in media and moral spirit campaigns to support the Palestinian people.
Legal refrences
The Palestinian national demands declined, the speakers said it’s important to focus on the many useful international legal references, including the partition decision, Jerusalem status as an open city under the UNs administration or recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state, since it isn’t addressed enough.
The seventh recommendation: Focusing the Palestinian political discourse on the legal refrences for the Palestinian issue especially regarding Jerusalem