Saturday, November 17, 2007

Haneyya: Al-Aqsa is in danger and only through unity that we can liberate it

GAZA, (PIC)-- The elected Prim Minster, Ismail Haneyya, made a televised speech on Thursday to the nation in which he addressed the latest developments in the Palestinian arena. "Today marks the 19th anniversary since the declaration of independence [at the Palestine National Council meeting in Algiers] and none of the rights of the Palestinian people have been restored despite Palestinian concessions that touched the Palestinian historic rights [..] The Israeli aggression against our people everywhere continues [..] and the Israeli aggressions against Jerusalem and the Blessed Aqsa continue.." he said at the start of his speech condemning the visit made by right wing members of the Knesset the area of Haram al-Sharif and continued Israeli excavations near the Aqsa Mosque.
He also condemned the Israeli condition that the PA recognises Israel as a Jewish State and stressed that the danger to Jerusalem an to the Aqsa Mosque can only end when occupation ends.

He added that if Israeli politicians are asking for 80 votes in the Knesset instead of sixty to ratify any agreement with regard to Jerusalem, the Palestinian negotiator will require a true Palestinian, Arab and Muslim authorisation to reach any deal regarding Jerusalem, stressing that despite their incessant campaign of Judaization of Jerusalem, the Israelis can never mutilate the holy city's identity neither can they erase it from the Palestinian, Arab and Islamic conscience.

He also stressed that Palestinian unity was the way to liberating Jerusalem expressing his appreciation for the Jerusalem conference held in Istanbul and for the calls made by Sheikh Raed Salah and Archimandrite Attallah Hannah for Palestinian reconciliation.

Then he talked about the Monday events which followed the marking by Fatah supporters of the third anniversary of the death of Yassir Arafat.

"The government agreed to the rally at the time and place requested [as an expression of] loyalty to great leaders and to ask the questions [that have not been answered]: who killed President Arafat? Why was President Arafat killed? There has been a conspiracy to close this serious file so as not to expose the hands behind the assassination of the President..

"The government also agreed to the rally to reinforce the concept of political plurality and out of respect for political and press freedom ..

"The government did not want to deal here [with Fatah] like the PA is dealing with Hamas in the West Bank where [Hamas] is being subjected to a war of eradication."
He also talked about how his government facilitated this rally and similar rallies around the Gaza Strip in coordination with Fatah leadership in the Strip and after promises from the leadership to control their elements.

He expressed his sorrow for the events after the rally and said that a committee has been set up to investigate the events and will report its findings to the government and the people and those responsible for sparking off the unfortunate events will be tried according to the irrespective of their political affiliation, ie no immunity to the police or anyone affiliated with Hamas.

Again he called for Palestinian reconciliation stressing that Hamas calls for this not out of weakness.

He also said that those who are counting on time to break Hamas are mistaken, because Hamas, which takes its patience from the patience of the great Palestinian nation, is not easy to break and no one can force it into a corner.

Then he said that those who think they can break Hamas in the West Bank are also mistaken, because the movement there has been through it all, imprisonment, torture, assassinations and deportations.

And in reply to Abbas's description of Hamas as a gang when he called for ousting it by force in the Gaza Strip he said that Hamas was not a gang and was not thirsty for blood but "Hamas is a religious duty and a national necessity, peaceful towards its people and enemy to those occupying its land."

He called for breaking the siege and for releasing all political prisoners and greeted the martyrs, the prisoners in Israeli occupation jails, not least the detained lawmakers.

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