As though the Palestinian Authority’s corruption, its wrongful appropriation of people’s money, and its treatment of the areas under its administration in Palestine as a farm and playground for its corrupt and corruption-spreading officials were not enough, it has also made most jobs virtually exclusive to those who sing its praises and beat the drum for its falsehoods. Nor has it been satisfied with making employment conditional upon the approval of the security services. It has gone even further, carrying out a number of acts of oppression and violations of the law against the people of Palestine.

It has prevented a number of them from travelling through decisions issued by the security services, despite these decisions violating the law! It has also cut the salaries of a number of employees whose only offence is that they have failed to win the Palestinian Authority (PA)’s approval, that they have not sung its praises, that they have enjoined what is right and forbidden what is wrong, that they have held the PA accountable for its corruption, or that their political affiliation does not please the PA and its security apparatuses!

Delegations from Hizb utTahrir in the Blessed Land of Palestine have visited a number of governors to remind them of their responsibilities. These included the governors of Hebron, Nablus, and Bethlehem. The delegations made clear to them that they must act swiftly to lift the injustice against the people, restore the salaries that have been cut, and remove the unlawful travel bans.

The governors’ responses varied. The governor of Nablus denied that such a situation existed. However, when the delegation insisted that these cases did exist and that the problem was widespread, presenting documented evidence that the salaries had been suspended for no reason other than political motives, with the security services behind it, the delegation stressed that it was his responsibility to lift this injustice and that, if he did not respond, the issue would be brought before public opinion. At that point, he began to backtrack, and his deputy intervened, saying that an employee who fulfils the duties of his job must not be prevented from receiving his salary. Despite this, we saw no action from either the governor or his deputy, nor did we see any result that might lead to the removal of this injustice!

As for the governor of Hebron, he promised to follow up on the issue and work to resolve the problem. Although he confirmed that he would work to resolve it quietly, saying, “I wish all problems could be resolved before matters escalate,” when the delegation returned to obtain an answer, the governor’s office director conveyed the response that they had referred the matter to the relevant authorities but had received no reply! It was as though the governor had neither authority nor power! He also said that resolving the issue of the salary cuts was easy, whereas lifting the travel bans was difficult! It is as though rights can be divided up! It is as though the security services’ tyranny has become a fate that stands above the PA’s own laws and even above the governor himself. Despite the talk and promises of resolving the salary-cut issue, which the deputy governor had described as easy, the response amounted to nothing, absolutely nothing!

More serious and bitter still was the position of the governor of Bethlehem. He initially supported the delegation’s demands and made promises, but when the delegation returned to him, he went back on his word, reneged on his promises, and said, “Go and refer the matter to the security services!” This means that the governor acknowledges that the security services are behind these crimes. Indeed, he accepts this situation when he tells the delegation to visit the security apparatuses!

This is a picture of what happened during the meetings with the governors, who made promises and then withdrew from them or evaded the issue and their responsibility to address the injustice and tyranny of the security services.

All of this makes it abundantly clear that the Palestinian Authority has no law. Rather, the law is one of thuggery, hooliganism, and tyranny against the people, imposed by the security services. In doing so, the PA follows the example of the police-state and intelligence regimes that have exercised tyranny throughout the lands of the Muslims.

All of this raises the question: What is the Palestinian Authority’s objective in cutting people’s salaries and preventing them from travelling? Is this not the same approach through which the usurping entity pressures the people of the land, seeking to silence them and deprive them of any hope of living with dignity? Is the PA, through this conduct, pushing people—as it mistakenly imagines, towards abandoning their homeland, in alignment with the approach of the Jewish entity in driving people to emigrate? Has the PA found what it was looking for in chasing after the entity’s course, serving its needs and seizing its prey?!

As for us, we say that the Shabab of Hizb utTahrir, together with the people of Palestine, will not remain silent in the face of injustice, nor will they accept people’s money being taken before their very eyes. This money is not a favour granted by the Palestinian Authority to employees, for which it can expect gratitude. The PA does not pay their salaries out of the pockets of its officials or its security apparatuses. Rather, it pays them from the money of the people of Palestine, whom it tyrannises, while treating that money as spoils for itself and those close to it.

Likewise, permission to travel is not a favour that the PA grants to the people. Rather, preventing them from travelling is an act of aggression against them and leaves them at the mercy of their enemy. This tyranny against the youth of Hizb utTahrir and the people of Palestine, who stand firmly for the truth, will not pass without accountability. The oppressor must be told that he is an oppressor until rights are restored to their rightful owners and the PA and its security services release their security grip on the people.

Let the Palestinian Authority and its security apparatuses abandon their transgression and understand that injustice is darkness upon darkness. Regimes that once considered themselves safe and secure from the Ummah’s anger have vanished without a trace, as though they had never flourished yesterday. It would therefore be better for the Palestinian Authority and its security services to reconsider their actions and correct their course before they regret it, when regret will be of no avail.