Alwaght- The International Quds Day 2019 is taking place amid concerted efforts by United States President Donald Trump to push ahead with his so-called 'Deal of the Century' that aims to completely trample upon the rights of the Palestinian nation and prop up the Israeli regime.
This year's annual International Quds Day, which is held on the last Friday of the fasting month Ramadan across the world, is different from previous years due to major and unprecedented challenges facing aspiration of a free Palestine.
The International Quds Day is a legacy of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, who designated the day in solidarity with Palestinians.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the International Quds Day has been held worldwide on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. This year the day is marked on 31 May and is expected to continue throughout the weekend with various events being held across the world.
Unparalleled US support for Israeli regime
Over the recent past, the apartheid Israeli regime, boasting of unparalleled support from the current US administration, has brazenly increased the persecution of Palestinians in total disregard of all international laws and conventions. The Israeli regime led by its hawkish premier Benjamin Netanyahu continues to ignore international laws with impunity.
US President Donald Trump has backed Israeli regime unreservedly including moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied Quds (Jerusalem) after defying international opposition and recognizing the city as Israeli regime's capital. The US also fully supports Israeli regime's illegal construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank and also backed Tel Aviv's annexation of Syria's Golan Heights contrary to UN Security Council resolutions. The opportunistic Netanyahu, who at the helm of Zionism’s expansionist ideology, is now desperately seeking to manipulate Trump’s neocon racist worldview to the advantage of Israel.
The height of Trump's backing of the Israeli regime at the expense of inalienable Palestinian rights has been his infamous “Deal of the Century”.
Bahrain conference and Deal of the Century
In April, Trump’s Zionist son in law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, announced the plan will be presented after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends at the beginning of June. According to reports the so-called deal of the century will be disclosed in phases. The first stage will not address the most contentious issues. Instead, it will focus on the economic aspects of the deal with special focus on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza strip. This phase will be unveiled during the US-led economic conference set to take place in the tiny Persian Gulf monarchy of Bahrain to promote the controversial deal. Already the conference has been dealt a major blow after major global powers, China and Russia, announced they will not be participating. Additionally, Palestinian factions have also presented a united front opposing the Bahrain conference.
Palestinian unity
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Islamic Jihad and Hamas have called for a total boycott of the Bahrain meeting while urging Arab countries to give the US-led conference a wide berth. It remains to be seen if most Arab regimes will heed the call considering that two of the leading proponents of the Deal of the Century, which is an outright betrayal of Palestinian aspirations, are Saudi Crown Prince and de facto leader Mohamed bin Salman and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed who is also the driving force behind UAE's reckless foreign policy.
Therefore, the International Quds Day 2019, has to contend too with the shameful collaboration of reactionary Arab regimes with Israel. It is no longer a secret that many Arab regimes have extensive trade, security, intelligence and diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv much to the chagrin of Arab masses who continue their unwavering support for the liberation of Palestine.
However, despite these challenges, Quds Day 2019 rallies are expected to be historic since various Palestinian groups and factions which previously have had major differences are now united in marking the day whose main theme this year is “No to the Deal of The Century.” Therefore, Quds Day 2019 is poised to herald a series of events that will eventually annihilate Trump's 'Deal of the Century'.
