While the BDS movement (boycott, divest and sanction) is increasingly gaining international support and solidarity, it is shocking (but not really) to witness the rising voices in the Arab world swimming against the tide and attempting to pave the way for normalizing the abnormal. And before any one of these voices intercedes with the usual feigned assurances that normalization is a taboo, let's take a look at the aftermath of the notorious visit of Sheikh Ali Juma'a to Al-Quds Al-Sharif and the comical arguments justifying it. Only then can we decide whether such visits benefit the Palestinians or rather their nemesis and, yes, rapist: the Israeli occupation.

So as a start Juma'a claims that the Israeli authorities have not stamped his passport and that he entered with the arrangement of Jordanian authorities who are supposedly responsible for Islamic Endowments in Jerusalem. It seems, though, that this guardianship is limited to arranging such dubious visits, far from any actual role in defending Al-Quds from the alarmingly increasing Judiazation. Besides, it must be tickling Israeli officials to see that some Arabs actually believe that any authority other than Israel can grant entry to Jerusalem. But if the Jordanian authority insists that they are "responsible", let's see them attempt to allow Sheikh Ekrima Sabri (Al-Aqsa's Khatib or orator) or Sheikh Raid Salah (Head of the Islamic Movement in Palestine) into their native city after the Israelis banned them as Nafith Abu Hasanah, a Jordanian writer , wrote.

The truth is the Zionist state declares total sovereignty over Jerusalem regardless of the legal status of East Jerusalem as an occupied area. Nonetheless, Israel is well aware of the sensitivities in the Arab world, so it offers "good" Arabs a way out: Independent documents issued for those Arabs deemed acceptable by Israelis (doesn't it make you wonder what it takes to become acceptable?) These documents are not necessarily seen by such visitors, but they are essential procedure for the Zionist state because let's get real: Israel will not compromise its sovereignty to be "nice." Any Arab who believes otherwise is probably providing the Israelis with ample material for jokes, and rightly so.

This leads to another important point that seems to elude lots of people: The fact that Israel has always been keen on normalizing relations with the Arabs, as well as getting prominent personalities to visit Al-Aqsa and pray in it. Why? Well because that reinforces the Israeli idea: "We don't mind if Arabs come here and pray and tour, as long as they understand "who's the man." Thus Arab visits are in complete harmony with Israeli sensibilities regarding its interests, as well as an acknowledgement of the occupation as the legitimate authority over Jerusalem which means that the atrocities going on there since 1967 are not that atrocious afterall. This implicitly acknowledges a "Jewish" Jerusalem, which has always been the dream. In effect, such visits only serve to beautify the face of a gangster, colonial, and racist state and provide an Arab umbrella for the accelerating Judiazation process in Al-Quds, and the icing on the cake: no consequent gains for the Palestinians. Now are the Israelis just really adept at gaining points for free, or do they not even need to try?

Even the Israeli Human Rights organization, B'Tselem, points out that the government of Israel's primary goal in Jerusalem has been to create a demographic and geographic situation that will thwart any future attempt to challenge Israeli sovereignty over the city. By now, almost 200,000 settlers live in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem, and it doesn't seem like they're the last ones.

How "pragmatic" do these visits sound now? Does improving Israel's international image (if that is even possible), effectively acknowledging it's legitimacy (regardless of meaningless rhetoric), and setting in motion the beginning of serious attempts at shifting Arab views on the pariah state from rejection to normalcy, and from resistance (which includes boycott and isolation) to acceptance of the status quo, does that seem like a rational position for an Arab to take? Or are we supposed to believe that all this is good for the people of Al-Quds? And what do Arabs get in return for this "generosity" of spirit? Will the Israelis desist from their continuous violations in Jerusalem and other parts of Palestine, or will they change their strategy of existence because some Arab personalities decided to go visit them? I doubt that anyone would answer "yes" to this question with a straight face, but just in case someone does, I would love to see them back it up.

To be continued

Arwa Al-Rikabi is a Saudi writer. ([email protected])