PA official praises Samhadana
PA interior ministry: Samhadana, no. 2 on Israel's most wanted list, will bring law and order
"Jamal Abu Samhadana and his mates are not terrorists, but fighters and they can choose the best steps and bring order, security and an end to anarchy," ministry spokesperson Khaled Abu Halal said.
On Thursday, the Hamas-led government announced that Samhadana has been appointed as the ministry's director-general. Samhadana is no. 2 on Israel's most wanted list.
Wanted by Israel, Jamal Abu Samhadana (Photo: Reuters)
Abu Halal said the Palestinian government will take no steps to stop the firing of Qassam rockets into Israel, before Israel stops its attacks.
He declared a Palestinian disengagement plan: "No one is now speaking of accords and peace. We want to deal with internal issues, with building national institutions and returning security and order to Palestinian citizens, stopping anarchy and giving our people suitable services and guarding their lives a property."
Abu Halal, you are wanted by Israel and occupy a senior post at the Interior Ministry. Now another wanted suspect by Israel has been appointed to a senior post, for Israelis this looks more like a ministry of terrorists than a governmental ministry.
These appointments, like that of Abu Samhadana, are not a message to Israel or anyone else in the world. It is a message to the Palestinian people, and specifically a message to the security forces, some of which are breeching the law, acting like gangsters and attacking public institutions, foreign nationals and by doing so they are damaging the Palestinians' reputation.
The security forces need strong internal organization, and Abu Samhadana is the best choice. He enjoys capabilities and support from the public and is capable to impose order on security personnel who are abusing their positions through their weapons. The appointment is part of efforts to bring calm, security, and end anarchy in our society.
But still, he is a senior wanted suspect responsible for attacks, and the appointment has prompted negative reactions not only in Israel.
Still the storm and the reactions are party of Israel's incitement plans against us and the starvation, murder and destruction campaign that Israel continues to implement against the Palestinian people. The Palestinian people overwhelmingly voted for this government. They had a message to pass on which is that despite the oppression and killing we will not be subjugated and won't give up our rights. As the Hebrew saying goes, 'Nothing stands against strong will,' and nothing will stand in the way of the Palestinian's will, which solely wants and strives to live in peace and let Israel respect international decisions.
We understand this won't happen, there is no Israeli intension to go in this direction and therefore our entire plan is focused on internal affairs political and peace issues are less of a concern to us. Therefore we are looking for and appointing people most appropriate for this task.
We have no interest to fight a country with the largest military arsenal of the whole region. We want to invest in Palestinian society and I am not saying this out of weakness and subjugation. Stop the ineffective incitement and don't push our people to the corner, which will lead to an explosion, because in Israel they know the results are contradictory.
This week we saw what happened in Tel Aviv, and when a Palestinian explodes it is only because of Israel's policies. We have no interest in this, therefore Israel has to stop its attacks.
Will you continue with radical appointments and slogans?
Is everything I say radical? I'm talking about the need to live in peace and quiet, about ending the violence and the killing. There are Palestinians whom you liked to hear, but what achievements have they led? What did Israel give them? They achieved nothing. We are the ones who fought, we're the ones who can work toward calm and stability, just like in Israel, where only people like Rabin could move things and not those clowns who talk a lot, but they have no foundation and ability to do anything. Our hand is extended for peace, but fair and true peace which will bring calm and security.
You're asking for calm and security and mention a hand extended for peace, but just recently Jordan captured a ship with weapons meant for Hamas
We're not asking for calm, the occupation forces need to ask for calm. I talked about the means to achieve this calm. As far as the arms ship, it is another pitiful show that reeks of political stench. Hamas' historic policy is that the movement never had any organizational or military activity on any land belonging to an Arab state, and this policy hasn't changed.
Do I understand that you don't really mean to arrest terror suspects, as you said before, and will not cease the Qassam firing?
The government and the Ministry of Internal and National Security will not deal with this issue as long as the Israeli escalation continues and every day Palestinian civilians get killed. How come that while the bombardments and shelling from the sea and air and from artillery fire continue and women and children get killed, we are asked to be part of an attack on our people and its fighters? Let the Israelis stop the violence and unilaterally accept the hudna that was declared by Palestinian factions. But the Israelis not only have no interest in that, they're interested in bringing the Palestinian organizations still committed to calm to renege.
Maybe the gate that leads to the end of violence starts with your recognition of Israel?
Maybe we would also demand from the National Religious Party and the extreme right wing and the Likud to recognize our rights and the Palestinian state. Does it make sense to demand of us to recognize Israel that occupies our land? Is it not, in fact, a request for us tolegitimize the occupation? Besides, by what borders should we recognize Israel? How come they ask the Hamas movement to recognize Israel, but no one bothers to ask Israeli organizations like the National Religious Party, the Likud and others to recognize us, our rights, and a Palestinian state?
But today Hamas is not only a movement, but a ruling party
Yes, and according to the Palestinian law, the government's role is to handle internal matters and the political issue is under the responsibly of the PLO, which already recognized Israel and signed agreements with it.
Yesterday you announced the formation of a new organization where some of its members are wanted by Israel. How will they maintain security? And how will you prevent a clash with Abbas when only he decides by presidential order to establish organizations?
Israel and the Palestinians can be calm, there isn't going to be any clash between the Palestinian people. It's not a new organization that requires an order. It's an internal organization inside the police meant for special missions and its members are supposed to, mainly, secure the police and their offices when they are attacked and when foreign citizens are attacked. It's internal police reinforcement.
