Author: David Hearst
Affiliation: Middle East Eye
Organization/Publisher: Middle East Eye
Date/Place: October 12, 2020/UK
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 1925
Link: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hamas-haniyeh-israel-uae-deal-arab-normalisation-mercy
Keywords: Palestinian cause, Haniyeh, Hamas
Brief:
This article is an interview conducted by MEE with the head of the Hamas movement, Ismail Haniyeh, to talk about the new changes that will directly affect the Palestinian cause and the Arab-Israeli conflict after Bahrain and the UAE signed a peace agreement with Israel. The normalization treaties agreed upon with Israel will threaten such countries in the end. “Israel’s only interest is to seek a military and economic foothold in areas close to Iran,” Haniyeh said. In his view, “history will show no mercy, the people will not forget, and humanitarian law will not forgive.” There is also speculation that Saudi Arabia will join the UAE and Bahrain by concluding a peace agreement, especially after the statements of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who served as Saudi ambassador to Washington for more than 30 years, in which he described Palestinian leaders as a failure that has consistently squandered opportunities for settlement with Israel. As for the Palestinian reconciliation, Haniyeh said that Hamas has observed “positive changes” on the ground in the West Bank, and that “the challenges are enormous and we are still at the beginning of the road.” He also stated that “from the day it was announced, Oslo bore the seeds of its own destruction … Oslo was a failure since day one because it was a security agreement, not a political one.” Three factors compelled PA President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) to rethink his approach: “Firstly, Abu Mazen was left with nothing to bet on. Secondly, Abu Mazen feels personally insulted by the Americans and the Israelis. Thirdly, there was a decision by the Arab League to bypass the PLO and reach peace with Israel.” On Hamas’s talks with Mohammed Dahlan (Fatah Party, exiled in UAE for his role against Gaza Palestinians), Haniyeh said the discussion with Dahlan focused on one main point – how to ease the hardships in Gaza. There was no discussion of any political issues, including the shape of the Palestinian issue. Haniyeh confirmed that Egypt is currently negotiating a proposal to exchange prisoners with Israel. An Egyptian delegation had conveyed Hamas’s demands to Israel, and Hamas was waiting for a “clear response.” Hamas leaders believe that “American foreign policy does not change with a change of president. He is deeply rooted in the deep state of the United States.” Haniyeh said that American foreign policy is an institution, not an individual matter. He made clear that Hamas is ready for any military confrontation with Israel. “We will never give up our homeland or concede any part of it. We will spare no effort to liberate it, and what we cannot liberate we will leave for future generations to liberate.”
By: Taqwa Abu Kmeil, CIGA Research Assistant
