The New Universal Arab Generation – Abdul Moneim Mashat

The pale reaction of Arabs to Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinian men and women in Gaza, Israeli government-sponsored organized terrorism against the West Bank, and colonial expansion in East Jerusalem and occupied Palestine, raises many questions about Arab youth and their politics. In the past, Arab youth were the target of traditional political education institutions such as families, schools, universities, mosques, churches, clubs, etc. Since the ideas instilled in young people by these institutions are conservative, it was believed that they would avoid national issues, especially the Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab lands, and similar issues. This belief was reinforced everywhere. This trend continued until two developments occurred that shook the lives of Arab youth and prompted them to rebel against traditional education methods and tools, pounce on them and turn away from them.
As soon as social media emerged and penetrated cities and forests, citizens became involved and integrated with it, transforming from a self-reliant local citizen to a global citizen with a strengthened human spirit, which meant and promoted human values ​​without national boundaries, beyond traditional sovereignty, to the wider world, transforming young people from news consumers to participating in the guidance of higher authorities without fear or boredom, what they read, what they listen to and what they follow. Youth interaction went to the global youth in the east, west, north and south, and young people became the first to receive news and events and interact with them, and then their interests surpassed the ambitions of young people. The national sphere is absolutely important to pay attention to international issues, especially if these issues affect their living conditions and future future.
Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians in Gaza, the terrorism of the Zionist government and population against the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the widespread coverage worldwide, and the associated absolute prejudice against Israel by the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy and many countries, even with the participation of equipment and personnel against unarmed Palestinian men and women, have aroused the interest of Arab youth, a part of whom have begun to boycott the products, companies, foods and beverages produced. There are many vivid incidents of Arab youth and teenagers discussing with their parents and families the importance of boycotts, as this is the minimum way to express anger and disgust towards the supporters of the war of expansion of Israel and the construction of Greater Israel.
Arab youth and teenagers led the boycott movement throughout the Arab world, which shocked the Israeli Zionist establishment. One of the goals of the war was to pit Arab youth against Hamas and its sister Palestinian resistance groups. However, Israeli Zionist terrorism triggered the war. There was a strong fascination with the Palestinian resistance methods and their persistence in underground resistance to Israeli terrorism. The Palestinian resistance movement succeeded in prolonging the war to several months, causing hundreds of casualties in the Israeli army, and refuting the Israeli national security theory based on the lightning war. The positions and views of the Arab youth were agreed upon without any meetings, conferences or seminars against Israel and its ally the United States.
The Arab youth were supported by the historical awakening of Western and American youth in support of Palestine and its peaceful people, especially the youth of major American universities, some of whom were in open street demonstrations in major cities, some of whom were stationed in Harvard, Southern California, Texas, Columbia, New York and dozens of other universities, so much so that the US Congress attacked the presidents of major universities and held them accountable, and urged them to deal harshly with those who morally supported the Palestinian people and criticized and attacked the Zionist war machine. A new law was enacted that considered criticism of Israel as an anti-Semitic crime. The Arab youth were impressed by what they saw. The tolerance of American and European youth, as well as the stubbornness and violence of the police in these countries, aroused admiration on the one hand and sympathy on the other, and had an impact among all. Among them, the Arab youth followed the position of the United States in absolute support for Israel, both in the Security Council and in providing financial support, equipment and weapons to Israel, and they also followed the threats of the US Congress to the judges of the International Court of Justice and Israel. The International Criminal Court issued a substantive ruling on the Zionist occupation and settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and called for the arrest of Netanyahu and the Israeli Defense Minister.
Despite the brutal scenes of the Holocaust and the forced displacement of Palestinian men and women, as well as the ugliness of the barbaric acts of members of the Israeli army, they remain in the minds of Arab youth. I see and feel their unusual maturity, as well as the nationalist sentiments that were born out of the crimes of Israel against the Palestinian people, which were not present, but were enough. We are facing a critical stage in the political trends of the Arab youth mentioned above. Developments and other factors have contributed to the concretization, and despite the fact that I have mentioned these, as well as what I have observed from Arab youth in some Arab countries, both in the wealthy groups and other groups, the situation on the Arab streets is not expressed in a scientific way. It is appropriate for research centers in the Arab world to conduct field studies, measure the attitudes of Arab youth towards national issues and their relationship to them, and through these studies gain insight into their understanding of the world and what is happening. It is well known that the political environment in our Arab countries has alienated certain countries, but the Zionist-Israeli threat and the Israeli-American alliance require us to unite, stop and think about what is being planned for us, and support us. That is why it is crucial to use established scientific methods to understand their political attitudes towards our countries and other countries.
Professor of Political Science, Cairo University