Not done fighting. Hamas
Photo: Reuters
Mashal taunts Israel
Says Palestinians should maintain pressure; rejects claims of internal strife
CAIRO, Egypt - The radicalization of Israeli society is a sign of weakness, says Senior Hamas activist Khaled Mashal in an interview with Arab-Israeli newspaper Kul el-Arab.
Mashal, who is in Cairo for the scheduled summit between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, says the four-year-long Palestinian intifada has shattered Israeli society.
“I believe the growing radicalization of Israeli society is an expression of a crisis and weakness, not of power,” he says. “Thus, the only way to retrieve our (Palestinians) rights is to stay strong and continue the uprising and the pressure on the occupation.”
Mashal says he disagrees with the notion that Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are on a collision course.
“An internal struggle is an expression of the Israelis’ dream, and we would not realize these dreams for them,” he says. “Our only battle is against the occupation, and it would end when the occupation is over.”
Mashal says the Israeli Gaza disengagement plan is a clear victory for Hamas, as Israel
would not consider a withdrawal if it weren’t for the Palestinian pressure.
“We will turn it (the disengagement) into a national achievement by keeping our pressure on,” he says.
Not afraid of death
Regarding rumors he has been placed on Israel’s hit list, Mashal says he and his counterparts are taking precautionary measures.
“The rest is in Allah’s hands,” he says. “We are not afraid, but we have doubled our security measures.”
Mashal says Israel’s assassination threats are a sign of incompetence, despite its military superiority.
“We are representing a real and just cause, and death does not frighten us,” he says.
Regarding Israeli intelligence reports of an agreement reached by Hamas and Hizbullah to foil the Hudna (cease-fire), Mashal says “this is an outrageous lie by the Zionist enemy”.
Hamas members have recently made appeasing statements and have even hinted of the possible recognition of Israel and the Green Line border, but Mashal says the end of Israeli occupation and a return to the 1967 borders, along with Palestinian sovereignty over Jerusalem, the right of return and the dismantling of Jewish settlements, are only temporary Palestinian achievements.
“It is clear this would not bring an end the Palestinian problem, as no one can ignore the rest of the Palestinians’ rights,” he says. “However, it could be accepted as a step toward a solution.”
