Resistance will continue
Following the attempted assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Mahmoud Al-Zahar, Sherine Bahaa talks to Abdul-Aziz Al-Rantissi, Hamas's key political leader
How do you assess the recent wave of assassinations of Hamas politcal leaders, including such symbolic figures as Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, something which Israel had avoided in the past, restricting its targeted-assassination operations to military leaders only?
More than ever, it has now become apparent that Hamas is hindering Israel's plans to obliterate the Palestinians from their land. The Israelis realise that so long as Hamas is present they will remain in real danger. In the words of Haifa mayor and Labour Party leader Amram Mitznah, "the existence of Hamas means the destruction of Israel.
"The situation in the occupied territories is very complex. The latest escalation is proof that Israel has gone quite far. Sharon must have been feeling depressed and hopeless after he failed to destroy the Palestinian resistance movements. He promised his people the elimination of these groups within 100 days, but today, and after years of trying, he is still incapable of achieving his goal. Sharon has lost his mind. He is setting the entire occupied territories on fire. Doing so, however, would not be in his favour because he and his people will pay a very dear price."
Many people, including Palestinian activists, accuse Hamas of transforming the Intifada from a popular movement against the occupation to a militarised one, carrying out operations which harm the cause. How do you respond to that?
We are defending ourselves, our holy sites and our heritage. We are the victims. As such, we cannot confine our role to street demonstrations, writing banners, shouting slogans and throwing stones. We have to fight for our rights like all other occupied did before. This is not something unique to the Palestinians, most colonised countries whose people succeeded in gaining national liberation did that. The Algerians did that, The Vietnamese did it, and the French too resorted to military resistance during the Nazi occupation of their country. What we are doing is only logical and ethical.
How do you respond to accusations that Hamas was responsible for breaking the hudna?
Hamas unilaterally declared the hudna (ceasefire) and we abided by it for almost 50 days. Israel was meanwhile going unheeded in its targeted assassination policy in which 17 Palestinian activists were killed and 192 wounded. Why is it unacceptable for Hamas to answer back? Prior to Israel's latest attacks, Hamas issued a statement in which we declared that our commitment to the hudna does not mean that we would not retaliate when Israel attacks our people. The following day, Israel assassinated five of our people, four in Nablus and one in Hebron. What does the international community want us to do then?
Javier Solana, the EU high representative, suggested that Hamas become a recognised political party. Do you think this is a good idea?
This is not an idea; it is a call for us to raise the white flag and surrender. We cannot do that. Hamas is a resistance movement struggling against occupation, and resistance to occupation is a legitimate goal acknowledged by international law. So calling on us to abandon this role is illegitimate. International powers should read carefully the various UN resolutions regarding Palestine and stop abusing the Palestinians. We do not need the blessings of the US or even Europe to attain our rights.
What is your reaction to the mounting pressure to freeze Hamas's assets?
If they find any Hamas accounts let them freeze them. This is merely a pressure tactic to force us to cave in to the Israeli project whose goal is to dissolve the Palestinian cause. Hamas would not be affected by any of these attempts. The freeze would only hit tens of thousands of orphans, widows, handicapped and the poor; the people who used to survive on aid provided by charitable societies.
Internal Palestinian differences which used to be downplayed are now surfacing, especially after the resignation of Abbas. Do not you think that the Palestinians are facing an internal crisis?
We are not part of this rift. When the Abbas government was appointed we announced our commitment to the declared hudna. Now, Abbas says that he was blackmailed by the Americans and the Israelis but not by Hamas. The current internal crisis is the outcome of the phony policy adopted by the PA ever since it chose the path of Oslo. Things will not be any better if they insist on following the same path.
The resignation of Mahmoud Abbas coincided with the failed attempt on Ahmed Yassin's life, do you see a link?
All the disputes that emerged within the Palestinian Authority and ended up with the resignation of Abbas were extensively covered in the media. All the while, Israel's crimes have been downplayed. This is the usual strategy adopted by the Israeli government: to mask its bloody crimes behind political moves.
How do you assess the role of Abbas as prime minister during his 120 days in power?
Abu Mazen pursued a conciliatory approach towards both Israel and the United States, believing they might offer him something of value in return. This approach reached its peak at the Aqaba Summit last June when Abbas called Palestinian resistance movements "terrorists". He also ignored many of his people's legal rights. Sharon meanwhile gave a long speech on the historical rights of the Jews to the land and made it appear as though the Jewish state was in great danger because of Palestinian "terrorism". It was Abbas's own attitude that paved the way for his downfall, lost him much of his popularity and brought his government to an end. His resignation was inevitable because of the erroneous approach he adopted.
What do you expect of Ahmed Qurieh's government?
I think Qurieh's government will fall much faster than the government of Abbas. The reasons for this are obvious: Israel's present intransigent policy rules out the creation of a Palestinian state in the occupied territories. Furthermore, the US continues to fully support Israel and oppose granting our people their rights. The EU meanwhile is showing increasing bias towards Israel.
C a p t i o n :
Abdul-Aziz Al-Rantissi
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 18 - 24 September 2003 (Issue No. 656)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/656/re5.htm