2021 was a tough year for Palestine; more criminal wars on besieged Gaza, more settlements in the West Bank, and more racist attacks on Palestinian citizens of Israel. This, however, raised the question of moving resistance and political representation forward.
The Unity Intifada erupted, six prisoners managed to escape from one of Israel’s highest maximum-security prisons, Gaza stood tall in the face of one of the most horrific Israeli massacres, Sheikh Jarrah residents were up in arms against the Israeli plan to ethnically cleanse them, and all of Palestine was united in protest.
This came at a very heavy price, namely, more martyrs, prisoners, and more injuries. This coincided with a Palestinian decision to hold elections for the Legislative Council, but for internal, tactical reasons, they were canceled.
Hence the question of the relationship between resistance and political representation, not only in the 1967 occupied territories, but in historic Palestine. In a nutshell, 2021 for Palestine was the embodiment of Antonio Gramsci’s “pessimism of the intellect and optimism of the will!”
This song, written by Rifka Alamya and performed by Haidar Eid, tries to capture this mood of collective defiance and pays tribute to all those who have fallen, were imprisoned and were injured.
(The song is also a track in the album Tyrants’ Fear of Songs)
Fawwadnak
We’ve delegated you, Oh Martyr
You take the lead, and we follow
Our free land is the objective
Your comrades envy you
While the deep roots are holding you
Fawwadnak
We’ve delegated you, oh Prisoner
In the darkness of your cell
There a light in your sky
AlMajdal, Jaffa and Haifa are waiting for you
In free Ramleh we will meet
Fawwadnak
We’ve delegated you, oh Wounded
The amputated part is never lost
It is a head of us, there
The impotent has abandoned the idea
And left you on your own
But the revolution can never leave the torch behind
On our way of awda (return,) we’ve delegated you
Oh, Martyr
Oh, Prisoner
Oh Wounded!
Fawwadnak, Fawwadnak, Fawwadnak
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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