An Interview with Hamas Leader Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahar

"We do not and will not recognize a state called Israel. "..."Israel has no right to any inch of Palestinian land. This is an important issue. Our position stems from our religious convictions. This is a holy land. It is not the property of the Palestinians or the Arabs. This land is the property of all Muslims in all parts of the world. We regard the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, and the West Bank as a geographical unit, as mentioned by resolutions 242 and 338, which have not been implemented. We are currently talking about this area.".

The following are excerpts from an interview with Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar that appeared in Asharq Al-Awsat on August 18, 2005.
The following are the excepts from the interview(1): What Next in Gaza

Q: "Will Hamas continue the resistance after the disengagement plan is implemented?"

A: "Our plan is not to liberate the Gaza Strip, nor is it to liberate the West Bank or to liberate Jerusalem. Our plan in the first stage is to liberate the lands occupied in 1967. Those who view it as a strategic solution and those who view it as an interim solution have agreed upon this plan. Therefore, we will not take over the Gaza Strip and live there peacefully while the Zionist enemy is detaining thousands of our sons and occupying the West Bank. The resistance must move to the West Bank to expel the occupation."

Q: "Will the calming down [Tahdiah] end with the completion of the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip?"

A: "The tahdiah is scheduled to finish at the end of 2005. It was contingent on the release of the prisoners and stopping the attacks. Israel has not abided by these conditions. Our goal was not to hit Israel for the sake of hitting Israel , but to attack the occupation. I stress that the resistance was what drove the occupation out of the Gaza Strip."

Q: "Will Hamas resume its operations in Israeli towns after the withdrawal?"

A: "Firstly, there are no Israeli towns. These are settlements. If the aggression and occupation continue, the Palestinian people will have no alternative but to defend themselves. The Palestinian people are not killing the occupiers or being killed out of fun or madness. The life spent by our generation in killing, imprisonment, and exile is not the life that we want for our sons. We want them to live in security and peace and to live in a homeland in which they are able to move and not to live as slaves of the Israeli enemy."

Q:  "In other words, the resistance of Hamas in the future will be in response to Israeli actions."

A: "No, our position depends on two things: the withdrawal from the Palestinian territories and the extent of the aggression against the Palestinian people." Our Position Stems from Our Religious Convictions

Q:  "You talk about attacks on the Palestinian territories as if you recognize the existence of Israel."

A: "I strongly disagree with your statement. We do not and will not recognize a state called Israel. Israel has no right to any inch of Palestinian land. This is an important issue. Our position stems from our religious convictions. This is a holy land. It is not the property of the Palestinians or the Arabs. This land is the property of all Muslims in all parts of the world. We regard the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, and the West Bank as a geographical unit, as mentioned by resolutions 242 and 338, which have not been implemented. We are currently talking about this area."


PA-Hamas Reactions

Q:  "Let us talk about the relationship between Hamas and the Palestinian authority. Has there been friction recently?"

A: "When Mahmoud Abbas (Abu-Mazen) was elected, we started talks. Some people in Fatah and the Palestinian authority told Abu-Mazen that he was giving Hamas more than it deserved at the expense of Fatah, and that his policy was leading to the destruction of Fatah, as proven by the success of Hamas in the first and second rounds of the municipal elections. They claimed that we fixed the elections. This was a joke, because no opposition has been able to rig elections. "Some officials of the Palestinian Authority told Abu-Mazen that they could resolve the situation with Hamas militarily. The Interior Ministry, under Nasr Yusuf, issued leaflets saying that anyone firing rockets at the Zionist enemy will be shot. This was an attempt to repeat what happened in 1996 to protect the Israeli borders, arrest those who fire rockets, and confiscate the weapons. Nasr Yusuf was engaged in a confrontation around the Jabalya refugee camp area and deployed armoured vehicles, which the Palestinian people had not seen before. However, he quickly realized that he could not resolve the situation militarily. Now, they are seeking dialogue, and we welcome that."

Q:  "In his recent speech in the Palestinian Legislative Council, Abu Mazen was unyielding."

A: "We responded to the speech. He said that only one authority should exist, and we want one authority. However, regrettably, the only authority that exists is the authority of Israel. Neither Abu-Mazen nor Nasr Yusuf can move from here to there without the permission of the Israeli army. We want a single Palestinian authority, but a strong authority can only exist through elections. Do we have security services and ministries to form an alternative authority? We want a single authority, but we do not want it to be corrupt. "We want an elected authority that represents all the Palestinian people and not an authority that disputes with the people about their livelihood. They are excluding the members of Hamas from jobs in the educational, health, and other fields. In such conditions, we cannot talk about an authority, but about authoritarian rule. If the Palestinian people have rejected Israel's oppression, do you think that they will accept Palestinian oppression? "There is confusion between the resistance and the chaos caused by the struggle in the Fatah movement. The only legitimate weapon is the weapon of resistance which does not kill innocent people and it not used to resolve factional or family disputes. This weapon forced the occupation to withdraw. We will keep our weapons, because no one can guarantee that the occupation will not return. We hear the threats of the occupation throughout the day and at night. Which do you consider is the legitimate weapon? Is it the weapon that disappeared during the confrontation period, and is used in celebrations, or is it the weapon used to maintain steadfastness and defend the people? Is it the weapon that has driven the enemy out or the weapon that is defending the enemy?" Hamas Will Assume Power Only Though Elections

Q:  "Is Hamas interested in seizing power?"

A: "I do not accept the word 'seize' On the issue of education, we want to teach the people our history, and we insist that the people must learn the Quran. Even if the Quran attacks the Jews in some of its verses, the people must read it. We cannot agree to the manipulation of the Quran and the religion. We are against any economic cooperation with Israel . We want a local Palestinian economy so that others do not influence it. We want investment, but without kickbacks, bribes, and commissions. If we can make the interest rate zero in this economy, based on Arab, Islamic, and international investment, then this would be an achievement. We want to spread the culture of resistance. We want tourism, but tourism of a people that have dignity. We will change the names of the settlements to represent the martyrs who died attacking them. We will tell the tourists that the honest rifle was able to achieve victory."

Q: "Does Hamas have a plan to assume power?"

A: "Only through elections."

Q:  "Hamas did not participate in the first legislative elections because it regarded them as the product of the Oslo Agreement. What changes have taken place to prompt Hamas to change its position?"

A: "The Legislative Council used to be called the Palestinian Council. It was not legislative. It consisted of 88 members. We were talking then about a transitional period. Now we are talking about a liberation period and 132 representatives. I guess the current set up is the product of the Oslo Accords and the situation we find ourselves in the product of the British Mandate and the ongoing Israeli occupation. We will participate in the elections based on a program to end the Oslo Accords."

Q:  "Will Hamas participate in the presidential elections?"

A: "What is the problem in that? We represent an alternative to the Authority. We want to serve the people, and the people want servants and not masters. We are part of a larger movement called the international Islamic movement."


Israel Fears that Gaza Would Become Hamas Land; Let Israel Die

Q:  "Israelis fear that Gaza could become the land of Hamas after the withdrawal."

A: "Let Israel die."

Q: "Is this an encouragement for the Palestinian Authority to clamp down on Hamas with an iron fist?"

A: "No one can crackdown on us with either an iron fist or a golden fist."

Q: "Have you prepared to enter the settlements?"

A: "We will enter the settlements and sully the dignity of Israel with our feet. We will stand on the ruins of the Israeli settlements and tell our
people we have prevailed. This is nonnegotiable. We will secure the Gaza Strip and prevent anyone from occupying it again. In past experiences, government land was stolen. "The land of the evacuated settlements should serve as the lungs for the economy to breath. Schools, playgrounds, agriculture, and industry should be established on this land. This is our position, which we expressed in the meeting of the national committee formed to oversee the withdrawal. The government to be formed after the elections will determine the future of this land. "

Q: "In other words, there is an agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas about the future of the settlements' land."

A: "Yes. The Palestinian Authority has the right to manage the land after consulting with the committee which consists of representatives of the national and Islamic factions. "

Q: "Is there a plan for Hamas leaders abroad to return to Gaza?"

A: "We will never give up our right of return. All of Palestine is our land. When any part of it is liberated, any Palestinian and Muslim will have the right to come. This does not mean that this is consistent with the current Isralei withdrawal form Gaza."

Q: "Therefore, will the leaders of Hamas abroad return to Palestine?"

A: "This is up to them. However, the Hamas movement has international dimensions and relations that it must maintain. Therefore, those who maintain these relations must stay abroad. "


"We Do Not Consider the West as an Enemy but we Believe Christian Zionism is Criminal"

Q:  "What is the relationship. between Hamas and Europe?"

A: "All the Europeans that we have met admit that the European position is hypocritical and subservient to U.S. pressure. They look forward to freeing themselves from such pressures. If you want democracy to express the will of the Palestinian people, wait for the results of the elections. If you regard the Palestinian liberation movement, of which Hamas is part, as a terrorist movement, you must look at history. Was De Gaulle a terrorist? Were those who worked to liberate their countries from occupation terrorists? We do not consider the West as an enemy but we believe Christian Zionism is criminal." Source: Memri.

Endnote:
(1) http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=3&id=1294

 

Review of Arab/Palestinian headlines  AUGUST 2005                                          FROM THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION. August 18^th, 2005

The three Palestinian daily newspapers, Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam, and Al-Hayyat Al-Jadeeda published the following headlines

Al-Quds     

• Few days after the Shfa Amr terrorist attack, Jewish terrorism strikes again. Four innocent Palestinians killed and two others injured at the hands of a terrorist Israeli settler in northern West Bank.
• President Abbas condemns the heinous terrorist attack and calls for self restraint.
• Washington condemns and expresses “extreme concern” over the terrorist attack.
• Anonymous call warns of a Jewish plot to blow up the Holy Aqsa mosque in occupied Jerusalem today.
• Hamas says truce with Israel shall be observed for another five months.
• Sharon says that Gaza withdrawal will eventually foster stronger Israeli hold aver occupied West Bank.
• President Abbas: The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza will lead to having a final settlement for the conflict.
• Israeli FM doesn’t prefer going for final status negotiations.
• Arab Bank in New York agrees for a settlement according to the “Consent Order” terms.
• Thousands of Israeli settlers use violence against the police while objecting to evacuating them from Gaza settlements.

Al-Ayyam

• Four citizens, including two brothers slain and two other injured at the hands of a terrorist Israeli settler. The incident comes just few days after another lethal terrorist attack by an Israeli terrorist in military uniform in Shfa Amr.
• Solana condemns the Jewish terrorist attack.
• The US administration condemns the crime.
• Israel relocates a round 1000 Gaza settlers into Jerusalem.
• Col. Rjub says that the Israeli cooperation with the PNA isn’t satisfactory.
• The EU welcomes the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as a first step for implementing the road map.
• Erekat and Perez discuss several issues including the Israeli evacuation to settlements in the West Bank.
• Legislator Marwan Barghuthi says from his Israeli detention that the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza is the beginning of collapse for the Israeli settlement ideology in the occupied territory.
• Israeli occupation forces arrest a boy and close a roadblock at Huwwara near Nablus in the West Bank.
• Citizens foil Israeli military unit attempt to enter Qabatya near Jenin in the West Bank.
• Bethlehem: Israel deploy military units around Bethlehem where these forces issued orders confiscating large areas of Palestinian land.

Al-Hayyat Al-Jadeeda

• Another Jewish terrorist kills four citizens, including two brothers, and injures two other citizens amidst warnings of more terrorists at large.
• PNA condemns the attack and calls on Israel to dismantle Jewish terrorism infrastructure.
• A Palestinian boy killed and four other citizens injured with an Israeli occupation mine in Yatta near Hebron in the West Bank.
• Human rights organizations ask the International Committee for the Red Cross to take its responsibility in securing the release of Gaza citizens detained in Israel.
• Palestinians in Israel demand for a protection to their schools against possible Jewish terrorist attacks.

Review of Arab editorials

AUGUST 2005
A roundup of commentary from Arab newspapers.

Between a rock and a hard place

The London-based Al Hayat said on August 11 that it was only a matter of time before Iran would use its civilian nuclear program to make weapons. The Saudi-financed daily commented that Iran's quest for nuclear weapons was "completely in line with the nature of the ruling regime in Tehran." It described the Iranian regime as "ideologically and geographically expansionist," adding it was now being "refreshed with a hard-line president to complete the conservative team that runs the affairs" of the country. It went on to say while Israel's nuclear bombs must be mentioned, "one must also affirm that Iran's possession of such bombs will not correct the current imbalance between the Arabs and Israel." In fact, the paper added, it would increase the imbalance because the Arab countries "will find themselves between a rock and a hard place, regardless of Tehran's anti-Israeli slogans that have always been for local consumption and a pretext for foreign intervention in the area".

Washington's difficult situation

The London-based Al Quds Al Arabi on August 11 said that Iran's decision to reactivate its nuclear reactors had confused US and European governments, insisting Tehran had put Washington in a "very difficult situation" because the US cannot escalate its rhetoric against Iran or threaten the use of military force against it. At the same time, Washington cannot remain silent. The independent Palestinian-owned paper said the strongest card in the Iranian leadership's hand was Iraq, adding the US administration had "surrendered" itself to Tehran by failing to bring stability to Iraq through its occupation and because of the current Iraqi leadership's loyalty to Iran. Insisting US options were limited, the paper warned a military strike against Iran would escalate retaliation against US forces in Iraq and maybe Afghanistan, uniting Sunnis and Shias against America. But US silence might turn Iran into a nuclear power in the oil-rich Gulf region, it said. The third option, the paper said, was a US green light to Israel to launch an airstrike against Iran's nuclear reactors, but predicted the Iranian reaction would be forceful, "especially that Tehran possesses long-range missiles that can easily reach Tel Aviv."

Crime against humanity

Egypt's semi-official Al Gumhuriya accused US forces in Iraq of imposing a media blackout on the "barbaric massacres" in Haditha. The mass-circulation daily said in its August 11 editorial that the operations - against "defenseless civilians" - could have been carried out amid silence if it were not for a statement by Iraq's Sunni religious authority revealing the "litter of Iraqi bodies on the streets under complete siege". The editorial, titled "crime against humanity," insisted that those who raised their voices in support of human rights "are now the enemies of humanity in Iraq, mercilessly spilling blood with their military machine, torturing innocent Iraqis in distance prisons". It added that it was time for international organizations to pay more attention in Iraq, saying the country has become a "very brutal example of repressing and destroying humans".

Compensation for Gazans?

Jordan's Al Arab Al Yawm on August 11 wondered how the people of Gaza would behave after Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. It said the people there had become accustomed to a "culture of resistance" against the occupation. The daily, which describes itself as independent, said the Israelis will leave the area with "their gains and compensation, but the problem in Gaza will remain". It argued that the Palestinians and Arabs should insist the Israeli pullout from Gaza be part of the road map peace plan and a step toward withdrawal from the remaining occupied territories. The paper said while Israelis leave with additional assistance and compensation, no one has discussed compensating the Palestinians for the "damage and destruction" of Gaza's infrastructure. It called for international action to reduce the repercussions of the strip's "human and environmental disaster".

Treason can never be justified

Kuwait's Al Rai Al Aam on August 11 criticized calls by some Lebanese Christian leaders for amnesty to members of the disbanded South Lebanon Army (SLA). The force was Israel's proxy militia in southern Lebanon during the 22-year Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. The pro-government daily said many inside and outside Lebanon were shocked by demands to pardon those "who have blood on their hands" and who had sought refuge in Israel after the liberation of the south. It criticized as "dangerous" dealing with "issues of treason on the pretext of national reconciliation," saying it was impossible to forget the massacres and torture carried out by Israel's collaborators against their compatriots. The paper said European countries had refused to grant asylum to the SLA agents "because of the brutal crimes they committed" and even Israel was treating 3,500 of those in the Jewish state as "nothing more than mercenaries". The Kuwaiti paper insisted demands for an amnesty should not be sectarian-based because "treason is a crime beyond any sect, and cannot be justified for any reason".

Iran nuclear crisis at "crucial point"

Qatar's Al Raya commented in its August 10 editorial on the growing crisis between Iran and Europe following Tehran's decision to resume uranium enrichment. It said the crisis had now reached a "crucial point." The pro-government daily said the meeting of the IAEA that began in Vienna on August 9 to discuss Iran's nuclear program put the issue at a decisive crossroad. It said the IAEA was expected to either issue a warning to Iran to reverse its decision and continue negotiations, or face the UN Security Council and possibly international sanctions. "The latter option is the more serious one because it will pull the region into a new state of tension," the paper warned. It insisted a peaceful solution to the crisis was still possible though there was a Western trend, led by the US, to take a firm position against Iran. The daily said finding a peaceful solution needed more "reasonable and wise political voices to face the threats and defiance...otherwise, there will be a confrontation with undesirable repercussions."

Western hypocrisy

Syria's state-owned Tishreen daily on August 10 said the escalating pressure on Iran coincided with the 60th anniversary of the US attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It commented the "size of the hypocrisy of the powerful countries" was revealed as the US continued to develop its nuclear arsenal during the past six decades, and by the recent revelation that Britain had provided Israel with nuclear weapon capabilities. "The hypocrisy was revealed in how the powerful nations deal with the peaceful nuclear ambitions of the developing world," the paper insisted, "which would allow the building of peaceful programs to serve development - a right that is guaranteed by the nonproliferation treaty."

Resisting Israel is a duty

Lebanon's independent As Safir on August 10 said the issue of the Shia Hizbullah group's weapons was not the weapons themselves, but the position regarding Israel. It added having armaments against Israel was a means, not an end. The question of Hizbullah's weapons, it insisted, was whether Israel is regarded as a neighboring country or an enemy. "If we regard Israel as an enemy, then the logical result is the need to resist it with all weapons and means available during the armed conflict before reaching a just, durable and comprehensive peace," the daily commented. It added that when this peace is achieved, the issue becomes more complicated, "and we should then face and answer whether we regard Israel as just a neighboring country or a state with ambitions in controlling our economy or political decisions." The mass-circulation paper said Israel's policies since its inception toward the Palestinians and Arabs confirms Lebanon's choice of seeing the Arab-Israeli conflict as one that never ends, even if the conflict is not armed. "Therefore," it said, "we consider resisting Israel as a duty, even if the resistance is not armed."

Palestinian police force needs national support

The mainstream Palestinian Al Hayat Al Jadeeda on August 10 called for national support of the Palestinian police force. It said international and Arab assistance was greater than the local support. The pro-government daily said the security institution required the highest form of backing to enable it to achieve its mission to serve the people. It said the force needed the cooperation of the people to respect the law and the security personnel, adding that the police force needed new equipment and technology to enable it to move quickly against violations of law.

Blair's "repressive measures"

The London-based Al Quds Al Arabi on August 10 blasted British Prime Minister Tony Blair for announcing restrictive measures to confront terrorism. It said the measures would have the opposite effects because of their "provocative and racist nature." The independent Palestinian-owned daily accused Blair of behaving like a "third world leader who changes laws like he changes his socks, consolidating dictatorship, centralizing power in his hands and tightening the noose around the neck of his citizens." It opined that while the prime minister said he would issue regulations that would ban incitement against terrorism, he was himself practicing "the worst kind of incitement against the Muslim community when he indirectly accused them of terrorism." The paper added that Muslims in Britain were now living in fear from the official and media incitement, saying they had become a target of hate crimes by extremists. It insisted the Arab regimes would naturally welcome and praise Blair's "repressive measures" that they themselves use against their people.

Iraqis are all in the same boat

Jordan's Al Rai commented that differences among Iraq's political forces on the new constitution were a cause of concern for Iraq, the Arabs and the world in general. The mass-circulation daily said in its August 9 editorial that Iraqis could prove "their wisdom and courage by aborting all plans aimed at pushing them towards a civil war or divisions, and if they went massively to the polls to choose their representatives." It argued it was time Iraqis realized they were all in the same boat and that "the language of threats from this or that party will not contribute except to more differences, sedition and to Iraq's division, which is not in anyone's interests." The daily insisted it was in no one's interests to delay the political process by trying to give more power to one party over another, adding that agreeing on a draft constitution was a common responsibility that must be based on understanding and consensus.

Changing regimes do not require US invasions

The London-based Al Quds Al Arabi on August 8 commented on last week's bloodless military coup in Mauritania that toppled the regime of Moawiya Wald Tayaa. It said the coup proved changing regimes did not require US invasions, but internal forces that had the interests of their country at heart. The independent Palestinian-owned daily argued that while some Arab intellectuals have their reservations about military coups, these were better than those taking place with "American tanks and fighters...as has happened in Iraq." It said the perpetrators of the coup in Mauritania indicated awareness in their understanding of the international and regional equations when they promised democracy and limited their authority for a specific period. "We hope the Mauritanian coup infects other Arab countries and regimes," the paper commented, "especially those which deny the existence of something called the people."

Mission of humans is construction, not destruction

Another London-based daily, Ash Sharq Al Awsat, said on August 8 that one of the greatest challenges facing new Saudi King Abdullah was Islamic cultural education. It said this was important "after the extremist forces have in the past years exploited the sentiments of people to spread the culture of hate and incitement, which succeeded in turning Saudi youth into their own enemies." The Saudi-owned daily argued that since Saudi society was surprised when some of its youth turned into "terrorists killing innocent people", putting the kingdom in an awkward position, it was now necessary to review the basis of extremist educational and cultural thinking. It insisted that it was time to seriously educate the culture of forgiveness and "love of life, belief that the mission of humans is construction, not destruction...and this is the task of the schools, mosques and the media."

Arabs should ensure peace is achieved in Sudan

Lebanon's English-language Daily Star on August 8 commented that the international community needed to renew its efforts to ensure peace in Sudan. Additional efforts were needed especially after the death of Vice President John Garang, it said. The independent daily complained that the Arab world had done little in this regard and suggested that Saudi King Abdullah could contribute by becoming "actively engaged in promoting peace among Sudan's formerly warring parties." It proposed that Saudi private sector leaders could also play a role in "providing the badly-needed investment in the south of the country, and thus offer Sudanese development and prosperity as an alternative to war." The paper warned there are "too many tragedies around us in the Middle East and North Africa to allow the volatile situation in Sudan to degenerate into another regional disaster," adding that Arab action could "go a long way in ensuring that a lasting peace is achieved in Sudan."

On nuclear arsenals and double standards

Jordan's independent Al Ghad on August 8 blamed Western "double standards" for the "collapse of the entire world order." It said the international community must take responsibility and admit the "tragedies and crimes hidden by history." In a commentary by former Jordanian ambassador to the United Nations, Hassan Abu Naama, the daily said the world should not be surprised by the "violence, evil, rage and hatred because people don't forget and history cannot hide the truth forever." It referred to a recent BBC TV report revealing that Britain had secretly provided Israel with the ability to develop its nuclear arsenal after France and the US had refused to supply the Jewish state with the necessary material. The paper accused Britain of also having "planted the seeds" of hatred and violence when it promised a homeland for the Jews in Palestine with the Balfour Declaration of 1917. "Now we see Britain, after the US, was the most eager to punish Iraq for owning delusional weapons of mass destruction and is now leading a campaign against Iran's peaceful nuclear program," the paper argued. "Yet we don't hear a word on Israel's nuclear arsenal."

Consolidating security in times of chaos

Syria's state-owned Al Thawra daily said on August 8 that President Bashar Al Assad's visit to Iran came within the framework of continuing consultations. The paper said relations between the two were strong due to Syria's respect for the keenness of Iran, since its 1979 Islamic revolution, not to threaten its neighbors or the world. The paper said that Iran's newly elected President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was chosen as the "more capable in continuing to lead Iran and its relations with other countries, starting with Syria, especially during these difficult times facing the region in terms of the "horrifying scheme that is targeting" both countries. It added that Assad's visit to Tehran was to deepen their cooperation to consolidate "security and peace in a region in times of chaos." Source:  Middleast News.