MEMRI, January 31, 2006.
The following are excerpts from an address by Hamas leader Khaled Mash’al at
a press conference that aired January 29, 2006 on Al-Jazeera TV.
Hamas Leader Khaled Mash’al: “Some people believe it is impossible to combine
resistance with politics. As long as we are an occupied people, resistance is our
natural right.”
[…]
“I say to the American administration, to the Europeans, and the international
community, which make all these demands, like stopping the resistance – or
stopping ‘terrorism,’ as they call it – and to disarm. I say to them: If you have a
problem with the factions’ weapons, we are prepared to unite the Palestinian
weapons based on Palestinian understandings, and to form an army, like any
other country, even though our country is not yet independent. We will form an
army like all independent countries. We will conduct reforms within our society,
with democracy, pluralism, with partnership, and clean administration, which
are the slogans of international and Western society, and at the same time, we
will have an army, which will protect our people from aggression and will strive
to recapture Palestinian rights. Other countries have this, so why should the
Palestinians be deprived of this? There is no contradiction between the two.
As for the PLO, as I have said, for some time we have been striving to rebuild
the organization. We will move faster, reach understandings with our brothers
in the PLO. We are all convinced of the need to reform and revive the PLO, so it
can become a Palestinian home for all, and a source of authority, in and out of
[the Palestinian territories].”
[…]
“The Palestinian people has chosen Hamas with its known stances. If America
wants to negotiate with Hamas – it is most welcome, but based on the positions
for which the people chose us. If Europe wants to negotiate with Hamas – it is
most welcome, but based on the choice of the Palestinian people. However,
they must not impose conditions on us. Our internal affairs must not be subject
to extortion and external pressure.”
[…]
“The Legislative Council is one of the Oslo Accords’ political frameworks, but
the Oslo plan is over. It is no longer effective, and no one follows it anymore,
and I don’t think our people will accept the revival of Oslo, after it has been
buried and eulogized by all.”
[…]
“We will not accept any formula that undermines some or all of our rights. In
other words, we are committed to the liberation of the land and to Jerusalem.
We will not agree to any kind of disregard [of our right] to Jerusalem. We are
more committed to Jerusalem than Sharon and the enemy leaders. We are
committed to the right of return and to our rejection of the settlements. We are
committed to the resistance and adhere to its weapons. These are our choices
and our fundamental principles, which the Palestinian people supported even
before the elections. In the elections, I believe, the Palestinian people clearly
demonstrated this support, in a democratic manner.
No one should accuse us of being out of line or singing out of tune. There are
internal Palestinian agreements. True, the Palestinian Authority was founded on
the basis of the Oslo Accords. We recognize that this is a reality, and we will
deal with it with the utmost realism, but without neglecting our fundamental
principles and our rights. We will honor any agreement or commitment, as long
as they benefit our people and do not infringe upon its rights. In other words,
we will honor our Palestinian commitments, provided they serve our people and
do not infringe upon its rights, and we will not accept dictates. This is, very
clearly, our position. We are capable of maintaining this position, despite all the
pressure.
As for recognizing [Israel] and amending our charter – Hamas is not the kind of
movement that succumbs to pressure. The occupation has no legitimacy. We
will not recognize it, no matter how much time passes. We will never recognize
the occupation as legitimate, and we will not give up on our rights. However,
we are realistic, and we know things are done gradually, in stages.”
[…]
“America may not recognize a certain country, yet it succumbs to reality. Today
we, the Palestinians, do not recognize the legitimacy of the occupation, but this
does not mean I want to abolish Israel in a matter of moments. I have a plan of
commitment to my land and my rights.”
[…]
“Succumbing to the will and pressure of others is unacceptable, but by our own
decision, we can either calm or escalate the situation, depending on what is
required at each stage. But if anyone expects Hamas to agree to take steps that
it would not agree to in the past,
I say clearly, brothers and sisters: We will not withdraw from our fundamental
principles, from our rights and our strategic goals. The map of Palestine, for any
Hamas member and for any Palestinian, is the well-known Palestinian map, just
like any European or American – if you ask him about his country’s map, he
says to you: ‘My country’s map is this and that…’ When they bring us
someone from Europe or America who is willing to give up his country’s map,
and accepts a distorted map – come back to us then. The Palestinian rights
remain intact.
But we believe in acting according to stages, gradually and realistically, and we
have the ability to obtain our rights, step by step. We will establish our state on
any piece of land we liberate, providing we have real sovereignty over this land,
Allah willing.”
[…]
“Our presence in the Legislative Council and in the Palestinian political system
will strengthen and protect the resistance, and not harm it. I do not agree that
there is a dispute over the resistance. Resistance, in all monotheistic religions,
and in international laws and conventions, is the right of any people subject to
occupation.”
[…]
“If people raise the issue of targeting civilians – we have said and we continue
to say that when our enemy stops targeting civilians, we will make the same
commitment. Ten years ago, we made such an initiative, but Israel rejected it.
That is why we must respond in kind. Resistance will remain a possible option,
which enjoys international consent.”
[…]
“There is a difference between regarding the period of calm as divergence from
the resistance – which will never happen – and regarding the period of calm as
one of the tactics of the resistance.”
