"First, I would not call the presence of some dozens of armed young men in each of those northern refugee camps and their readiness to be instantly killed - an Intifada. Based on the first uprising that was named so (1987-1993), Intifada means a popular uprising, participation of all walks of life and therefore – something where arms and live ammunition are not the main feature, if at all. It also means a set of mind of internal solidarity, coordination and a clear goal. Armed resistance is always for the few, and mostly a very male and masculine phenomenon. At least in the Palestinian context. The goal of those groupings has never been clear, either.
If you are asking how come we did not see more groups of young armed men who would shoot here or there at a military position, an armored car or a settler - then it has to do with the strength of the two groups which have financed and encouraged the arming of young men : Hamas and Islamic Jihad. They are said to have been strong in the north of the West Bank, less so in the rest.
Second, in spite of the glory woven around those groups and the sentiments of compassion towards each martyr, I tend to believe that most people in the West Bank doubted the effectiveness of such groupings and their actions."
https://orientxxi.info/dossiers-et-series/amira-hass-why-the-west-bank-did-not-rise-up,8585
#Palestine #WestBank #Israel #Intifada