When Palestine Shook
Keywords: 
intifada
Gaza
Sheikh Jarrah
Palestinian citizens of Israel
mobilization
Jerusalem
public opinion
Abstract: 

Sparked by Israeli repression and ethnic cleansing campaigns in Jerusalem, the uprising of May 2021 featured a widescale mobilization that activated Palestinians across the entirety of the country. What brought about this moment and what was its impact? In this essay, I reflect on the historical moment that has become known to many as the “Unity Intifada” and how it highlighted the continued perseverance and oneness of the Palestinian people while simultaneously indicting their leadership. In a matter of weeks, Palestinians demonstrated that they retained the capacity to create change, notwithstanding the limitations of such change thanks to the ineffectual leadership class.

Author biography: 

Yousef Munayyer is a Palestinian American scholar and nonresident fellow at the Arab Center Washington, DC.