Boycott "Israel" Movement: Palestinian Authority’s participation in Dubai Expo is a red carpet for normalization

Mahmoud Nawaja, coordinator of the BDS movement in Palestine, considered that the participation of the Palestinian Authority in the Expo 2020 Dubai comes as a cover-up for "Israeli" crimes and as a legitimate act of normalization with the Arab countries, especially the United Arab Emirates.

Yesterday, the movement launched a "Twitter Storm" rejecting the Dubai Expo, which it described as "normalizing" due to the opening of the international exhibition in Dubai in light of "Israel" 's hosting in it. The movement called for intensifying popular and public pressure rejecting this participation.

Nawaja described the Palestinian position as a shameful and humiliating decision against the Palestinians and the peoples who support Palestine and its cause, which is the opposite of the position on which the Palestinians relied.

He continued, "As every time the Palestinian Authority fails us, so that the UAE gives the red carpet for normalization and the passage of normalization projects with Arab regimes, its behavior is a legitimation of normalization and dealing with it as a normal matter."

He stressed that the position of the authority, which has changed recently after it decided to boycott the exhibition in 2020, puts us in an embarrassing position with the institutions and countries to which we called for a boycott, a matter that resulted in the withdrawal of a large number of these, but the Palestinian discourse and action shifted and they started talking With a different logic after I shared the power.

The Palestinian government had decided, in Cabinet session No. 70, which was held on August 17, 2020, to refrain from participating in the exhibition in rejection of the US, "Israeli", and Emirati tripartite declaration on the normalization of relations between "Israel" and UAE.

Nawajaa said that the Palestinian participation is considered a blow to the boycott movement's efforts, and complicity with normalization, specifically the UAE, which is considered a spearhead of normalization with "Israel" and pressure on Arab countries to engage in it.

Nawaja'a added: "The government and the Palestinian Authority, with their participation, contradict the desire of the Palestinian street, and this contradicts the position of the previous government."

The Palestinian ambassador, Ahmed Al-Deek, the political advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, had said in press statements that the issue of participation was under study, and then the Palestinian leadership took a decision to participate. The Palestinian leadership saw that it is in the interest of Palestine to participate in this exhibition.

Nawajaa considered that the slogan of the "Israeli" wing, which is "no barriers, no walls", indicates the reality of the "Israeli" presence and the consolidation of the "Israeli" policy, a slogan that promotes the theft of Palestinian culture and heritage. He continued, " 'Israel' has an access strategy, which is based on ironing and penetrating awareness, and the exhibition gives it that."

He distinguished between calls for boycott when the event takes place in the presence of "Israel" in an Arab country and between it being in a foreign country. The boycott campaign is not active if the event is in a Western country because our presence is required so that our voice is not lost, but we object and launch campaigns if they are in an Arab country. There is a big difference for us, then there will be "attempts to normalize", meaning that "Israel" 's presence becomes a normal thing in the Arab countries.

Nawaja pointed out that the UAE is at the forefront of Arab normalization efforts, and if the official Palestinian boycott of this exhibition had taken place, this would have been a continuation of the boycott and a confirmation of our position and commitment as Palestinians, and this would be a message that would reach everyone. This is something that will strengthen what the Emirati regime is doing.

He concluded by saying: "Every time we encounter a clear betrayal from the authority, and this is a file of many files, including "Israeli" gas, in addition to the electricity line that comes from Europe and will pass through Arab countries and will work to feed the settlements, and it is certain that the authority did not take a pioneering role in the face of normalization, but it continues to play the role of a bridge over which normalization with the Arab world passes, and this is something that sabotages our struggle and the struggle of the boycott of 'Israel' movement.”

Experts believe that "Israel" 's participation in the "Expo Dubai" goes beyond the marketing for criminal technologies, to serve the relentless attempts of the "Israeli" regime to cover up its ongoing crimes, normalize its presence in the Arab region, and break the growing international isolation against it as a settler colonial and apartheid regime.

And the media had revealed that “Expo Dubai” contracted with an "Israeli" security company, where the police in Dubai use drones to secure the Expo, and drones come from an "Israeli" company called “Airobotics”, located in the settlement of Petah Tikva, which is built on the ruins of the abandoned Palestinian village of Mulabs during the Nakba and whose name was changed to the settlement of Petah Tikva.

It must be noted that BDS movement made a great effort a year ago through the boycott call for the exhibition, a matter that intensified with the postponement of the exhibition, as communication was made with the Arabs and groups supporting the movement, which resulted in signing More than 200 artists petition to boycott Emirati activities, including the exhibition.