8 may 2017
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Hamas’s new political document is a key move toward the Palestinian Question and the reconciliation with Fatah Movement.
In a speech delivered at al-Quds Conference which was held on Monday evening in Istanbul, Erdogan said “Israel’s crimes in Palestine have been increasing because of escaping punishment”. He called for prosecuting Israel for its crimes and offensive practices against Palestinians in order to achieve peace and stability in the region.
Erdogan opined that the only solution is to establish the independent state of Palestine within 1967 occupied territories boundaries with East Jerusalem as its capital. He called for pressuring Israeli authorities in order to achieve that goal.
The Turkish President underlined that his country warned of relocating the US Embassy to Occupied Jerusalem. Discussing the matter is wrong, he believed.
Erdogan also slammed Israel for the Adhan ban bill which bans calling for prayer in Occupied Jerusalem.
In a speech delivered at al-Quds Conference which was held on Monday evening in Istanbul, Erdogan said “Israel’s crimes in Palestine have been increasing because of escaping punishment”. He called for prosecuting Israel for its crimes and offensive practices against Palestinians in order to achieve peace and stability in the region.
Erdogan opined that the only solution is to establish the independent state of Palestine within 1967 occupied territories boundaries with East Jerusalem as its capital. He called for pressuring Israeli authorities in order to achieve that goal.
The Turkish President underlined that his country warned of relocating the US Embassy to Occupied Jerusalem. Discussing the matter is wrong, he believed.
Erdogan also slammed Israel for the Adhan ban bill which bans calling for prayer in Occupied Jerusalem.
6 may 2017
Head of Hamas’s political bureau Khaled Mishaal has said that his Movement’s new political document would help and make it easy for fraternal countries to provide effective support for the Palestinian cause at international meetings and forums.
In press remarks to Quds Press on Friday, Mishaal said that Hamas’s document presented to the world and the region the Movement’s position on the Palestinian cause in a balanced and flexible way.
“The document has cleared the resistance of accusations and claims trying to link it to terrorism, and presented its active and mature picture, moderate thinking and political open-mindedness,” he said.
Answering a question about whether the document was formulated with help from other countries or as a result of external pressures, Mishaal affirmed it was drafted and agreed upon by the Movement’s institutions and leadership.
He stressed that “the document reflects the natural development of Hamas’s political thought and performance,” describing it as a necessary requirement for its political work in the Palestinian arena.
A few days ago, the Hamas leadership released in Doha a document containing its principles and general policies.
In the document, Hamas clarified, among other things, its position on the establishment of the Palestinian state, the conflict with Israel, and religious extremism.
In press remarks to Quds Press on Friday, Mishaal said that Hamas’s document presented to the world and the region the Movement’s position on the Palestinian cause in a balanced and flexible way.
“The document has cleared the resistance of accusations and claims trying to link it to terrorism, and presented its active and mature picture, moderate thinking and political open-mindedness,” he said.
Answering a question about whether the document was formulated with help from other countries or as a result of external pressures, Mishaal affirmed it was drafted and agreed upon by the Movement’s institutions and leadership.
He stressed that “the document reflects the natural development of Hamas’s political thought and performance,” describing it as a necessary requirement for its political work in the Palestinian arena.
A few days ago, the Hamas leadership released in Doha a document containing its principles and general policies.
In the document, Hamas clarified, among other things, its position on the establishment of the Palestinian state, the conflict with Israel, and religious extremism.
3 may 2017
The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, launched its Political Document "General Principles and Policies" on Monday at a press conference in the Qatari capital of Doha.
The document was announced at a press conference held by Hamas political bureau chief, Khaled Mishaal, with a number of leaders of the Movement, in the presence of elite writers, media outlets and researchers.
The 42 article document carries the essence of the Movement's thought and political legacy for 30 years now.
Hamas said in its document that it is an Islamic Palestinian national liberation movement aimed at liberating Palestine and confronting the Zionist project, indicating that Islam is a reference in its principles, objectives and means.
The Movement renewed its rejection of all projects aimed at settling the refugee issue, stressing that the right of return for Palestinian refugees is a natural right.
It also stressed that not an inch of Palestinian land will be handed over, indicating that the establishment of a state on the lines of 1967 does not mean the recognition of Israel.
The full text of the document is found in the following link:
A Document of General Principles and Policies
A Document of General Principles and Policies
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all worlds. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad, the Master of Messengers and the Leader of the mujahidin, and upon his household and all his companions.
Preamble:
Palestine is the land of the Arab Palestinian people, from it they originate, to it they adhere and belong, and about it they reach out and communicate.
Palestine is a land whose status has been elevated by Islam, a faith that holds it in high esteem, that breathes through it its spirit and just values and that lays the foundation for the doctrine of defending and protecting it.
Palestine is the cause of a people who have been let down by a world that fails to secure their rights and restore to them what has been usurped from them, a people whose land continues to suffer one of the worst types of occupation in this world.
Palestine is a land that was seized by a racist, anti-human and colonial Zionist project that was founded on a false promise (the Balfour Declaration), on recognition of a usurping entity and on imposing a fait accompli by force.
Palestine symbolizes the resistance that shall continue until liberation is accomplished, until the return is fulfilled and until a fully sovereign state is established with Jerusalem as its capital.
Palestine is the true partnership among Palestinians of all affiliations for the sublime objective of liberation.
Palestine is the spirit of the Ummah and its central cause; it is the soul of humanity and its living conscience.
This document is the product of deep deliberations that led us to a strong consensus. As a movement, we agree about both the theory and the practice of the vision that is outlined in the pages that follow. It is a vision that stands on solid grounds and on well-established principles. This document unveils the goals, the milestones and the way in which national unity can be enforced. It also establishes our common understanding of the Palestinian cause, the working principles which we use to further it, and the limits of flexibility used to interpret it.
The Movement:
1. The Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” is a Palestinian Islamic national liberation and resistance movement. Its goal is to liberate Palestine and confront the Zionist project. Its frame of reference is Islam, which determines its principles, objectives and means.
The Land of Palestine:
2. Palestine, which extends from the River Jordan in the east to the Mediterranean in the west and from Ras Al-Naqurah in the north to Umm Al-Rashrash in the south, is an integral territorial unit. It is the land and the home of the Palestinian people. The expulsion and banishment of the Palestinian people from their land and the establishment of the Zionist entity therein do not annul the right of the Palestinian people to their entire land and do not entrench any rights therein for the usurping Zionist entity.
3. Palestine is an Arab Islamic land. It is a blessed sacred land that has a special place in the heart of every Arab and every Muslim.
The Palestinian People:
4. The Palestinians are the Arabs who lived in Palestine until 1947, irrespective of whether they were expelled from it, or stayed in it; and every person that was born to an Arab Palestinian father after that date, whether inside or outside Palestine, is a Palestinian.
5. The Palestinian identity is authentic and timeless; it is passed from generation to generation. The catastrophes that have befallen the Palestinian people, as a consequence of the Zionist occupation and its policy of displacement, cannot erase the identity of the Palestinian people nor can they negate it. A Palestinian shall not lose his or her national identity or rights by acquiring a second nationality.
6. The Palestinian people are one people, made up of all Palestinians, inside and outside of Palestine, irrespective of their religion, culture or political affiliation.
Islam and Palestine:
7. Palestine is at the heart of the Arab and Islamic Ummah and enjoys a special status. Within Palestine there exists Jerusalem, whose precincts are blessed by Allah. Palestine is the Holy Land, which Allah has blessed for humanity. It is the Muslims’ first Qiblah and the destination of the journey performed at night by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. It is the location from where he ascended to the upper heavens. It is the birthplace of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. Its soil contains the remains of thousands of Prophets, Companions and Mujahidin. It is the land of people who are determined to defend the truth – within Jerusalem and its surroundings – who are not deterred or intimidated by those who oppose them and by those who betray them, and they will continue their mission until the Promise of Allah is fulfilled.
8. By virtue of its justly balanced middle way and moderate spirit, Islam – for Hamas - provides a comprehensive way of life and an order that is fit for purpose at all times and in all places. Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. It provides an umbrella for the followers of other creeds and religions who can practice their beliefs in security and safety. Hamas also believes that Palestine has always been and will always be a model of coexistence, tolerance and civilizational innovation.
9. Hamas believes that the message of Islam upholds the values of truth, justice, freedom and dignity and prohibits all forms of injustice and incriminates oppressors irrespective of their religion, race, gender or nationality. Islam is against all forms of religious, ethnic or sectarian extremism and bigotry. It is the religion that inculcates in its followers the value of standing up to aggression and of supporting the oppressed; it motivates them to give generously and make sacrifices in defence of their dignity, their land, their peoples and their holy places.
Jerusalem:
10. Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. Its religious, historic and civilizational status is fundamental to the Arabs, Muslims and the world at large. Its Islamic and Christian holy places belong exclusively to the Palestinian people and to the Arab and Islamic Ummah. Not one stone of Jerusalem can be surrendered or relinquished. The measures undertaken by the occupiers in Jerusalem, such as Judaization, settlement building, and establishing facts on the ground are fundamentally null and void.
11. The blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs exclusively to our people and our Ummah, and the occupation has no right to it whatsoever. The occupation’s plots, measures and attempts to judaize Al-Aqsa and divide it are null, void and illegitimate.
The Refugees and the Right of Return:
12. The Palestinian cause in its essence is a cause of an occupied land and a displaced people. The right of the Palestinian refugees and the displaced to return to their homes from which they were banished or were banned from returning to – whether in the lands occupied in 1948 or in 1967 (that is the whole of Palestine), is a natural right, both individual and collective. This right is confirmed by all divine laws as well as by the basic principles of human rights and international law. It is an inalienable right and cannot be dispensed with by any party, whether Palestinian, Arab or international.
13. Hamas rejects all attempts to erase the rights of the refugees, including the attempts to settle them outside Palestine and through the projects of the alternative homeland. Compensation to the Palestinian refugees for the harm they have suffered as a consequence of banishing them and occupying their land is an absolute right that goes hand in hand with their right to return. They are to receive compensation upon their return and this does not negate or diminish their right to return.
The Zionist Project:
14. The Zionist project is a racist, aggressive, colonial and expansionist project based on seizing the properties of others; it is hostile to the Palestinian people and to their aspiration for freedom, liberation, return and self-determination. The Israeli entity is the plaything of the Zionist project and its base of aggression.
15. The Zionist project does not target the Palestinian people alone; it is the enemy of the Arab and Islamic Ummah posing a grave threat to its security and interests. It is also hostile to the Ummah’s aspirations for unity, renaissance and liberation and has been the major source of its troubles. The Zionist project also poses a danger to international security and peace and to mankind and its interests and stability.
16. Hamas affirms that its conflict is with the Zionist project not with the Jews because of their religion. Hamas does not wage a struggle against the Jews because they are Jewish but wages a struggle against the Zionists who occupy Palestine. Yet, it is the Zionists who constantly identify Judaism and the Jews with their own colonial project and illegal entity.
17. Hamas rejects the persecution of any human being or the undermining of his or her rights on nationalist, religious or sectarian grounds. Hamas is of the view that the Jewish problem, anti-Semitism and the persecution of the Jews are phenomena fundamentally linked to European history and not to the history of the Arabs and the Muslims or to their heritage. The Zionist movement, which was able with the help of Western powers to occupy Palestine, is the most dangerous form of settlement occupation which has already disappeared from much of the world and must disappear from Palestine.
The position toward Occupation and Political Solutions:
18. The following are considered null and void: the Balfour Declaration, the British Mandate Document, the UN Palestine Partition Resolution, and whatever resolutions and measures that derive from them or are similar to them. The establishment of “Israel” is entirely illegal and contravenes the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and goes against their will and the will of the Ummah; it is also in violation of human rights that are guaranteed by international conventions, foremost among them is the right to self-determination.
19. There shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity. Whatever has befallen the land of Palestine in terms of occupation, settlement building, Judaization or changes to its features or falsification of facts is illegitimate. Rights never lapse.
20. Hamas believes that no part of the land of Palestine shall be compromised or conceded, irrespective of the causes, the circumstances and the pressures and no matter how long the occupation lasts. Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea. However, without compromising its rejection of the Zionist entity and without relinquishing any Palestinian rights, Hamas considers the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital along the lines of the 4th of June 1967, with the return of the refugees and the displaced to their homes from which they were expelled, to be a formula of national consensus.
21. Hamas affirms that the Oslo Accords and their addenda contravene the governing rules of international law in that they generate commitments that violate the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Therefore, the Movement rejects these agreements and all that flows from them, such as the obligations that are detrimental to the interests of our people, especially security coordination (collaboration).
22. Hamas rejects all the agreements, initiatives and settlement projects that are aimed at undermining the Palestinian cause and the rights of our Palestinian people. In this regard, any stance, initiative or political programme must not in any way violate these rights and should not contravene them or contradict them.
23. Hamas stresses that transgression against the Palestinian people, usurping their land and banishing them from their homeland cannot be called peace. Any settlements reached on this basis will not lead to peace. Resistance and jihad for the liberation of Palestine will remain a legitimate right, a duty and an honour for all the sons and daughters of our people and our Ummah.
Resistance and Liberation:
24. The liberation of Palestine is the duty of the Palestinian people in particular and the duty of the Arab and Islamic Ummah in general. It is also a humanitarian obligation as necessitated by the dictates of truth and justice. The agencies working for Palestine, whether national, Arab, Islamic or humanitarian, complement each other and are harmonious and not in conflict with each other.
25. Resisting the occupation with all means and methods is a legitimate right guaranteed by divine laws and by international norms and laws. At the heart of these lies armed resistance, which is regarded as the strategic choice for protecting the principles and the rights of the Palestinian people.
26. Hamas rejects any attempt to undermine the resistance and its arms. It also affirms the right of our people to develop the means and mechanisms of resistance. Managing resistance, in terms of escalation or de-escalation, or in terms of diversifying the means and methods, is an integral part of the process of managing the conflict and should not be at the expense of the principle of resistance.
The Palestinian Political System:
27. A real state of Palestine is a state that has been liberated. There is no alternative to a fully sovereign Palestinian State on the entire national Palestinian soil, with Jerusalem as its capital.
28. Hamas believes in, and adheres to, managing its Palestinian relations on the basis of pluralism, democracy, national partnership, acceptance of the other and the adoption of dialogue. The aim is to bolster the unity of ranks and joint action for the purpose of accomplishing national goals and fulfilling the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
29. The PLO is a national framework for the Palestinian people inside and outside of Palestine. It should therefore be preserved, developed and rebuilt on democratic foundations so as to secure the participation of all the constituents and forces of the Palestinian people, in a manner that safeguards Palestinian rights.
30. Hamas stresses the necessity of building Palestinian national institutions on sound democratic principles, foremost among them are free and fair elections. Such process should be on the basis of national partnership and in accordance with a clear programme and a clear strategy that adhere to the rights, including the right of resistance, and which fulfil the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
31. Hamas affirms that the role of the Palestinian Authority should be to serve the Palestinian people and safeguard their security, their rights and their national project.
32. Hamas stresses the necessity of maintaining the independence of Palestinian national decision-making. Outside forces should not be allowed to intervene. At the same time, Hamas affirms the responsibility of the Arabs and the Muslims and their duty and role in the liberation of Palestine from Zionist occupation.
33. Palestinian society is enriched by its prominent personalities, figures, dignitaries, civil society institutions, and youth, students, trade unionist and women’s groups who together work for the achievement of national goals and societal building, pursue resistance, and achieve liberation.
34. The role of Palestinian women is fundamental in the process of building the present and the future, just as it has always been in the process of making Palestinian history. It is a pivotal role in the project of resistance, liberation and building the political system.
The Arab and Islamic Ummah:
35. Hamas believes that the Palestinian issue is the central cause for the Arab and Islamic Ummah.
36. Hamas believes in the unity of the Ummah with all its diverse constituents and is aware of the need to avoid anything that could fragment the Ummah and undermine its unity.
37. Hamas believes in cooperating with all states that support the rights of the Palestinian people. It opposes intervention in the internal affairs of any country. It also refuses to be drawn into disputes and conflicts that take place among different countries. Hamas adopts the policy of opening up to different states in the world, especially the Arab and Islamic states. It endeavours to establish balanced relations on the basis of combining the requirements of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people’s interests on the one hand with the interests of the Ummah, its renaissance and its security on the other.
The Humanitarian and International Aspect:
38. The Palestinian issue is one that has major humanitarian and international dimensions. Supporting and backing this cause is a humanitarian and civilizational task that is required by the prerequisites of truth, justice and common humanitarian values.
39. From a legal and humanitarian perspective, the liberation of Palestine is a legitimate activity, it is an act of self-defence, and it is the expression of the natural right of all peoples to self-determination.
40. In its relations with world nations and peoples, Hamas believes in the values of cooperation, justice, freedom and respect of the will of the people.
41. Hamas welcomes the stances of states, organisations and institutions that support the rights of the Palestinian people. It salutes the free peoples of the world who support the Palestinian cause. At the same time, it denounces the support granted by any party to the Zionist entity or the attempts to cover up its crimes and aggression against the Palestinians and calls for the prosecution of Zionist war criminals.
42. Hamas rejects the attempts to impose hegemony on the Arab and Islamic Ummah just as it rejects the attempts to impose hegemony on the rest of the world’s nations and peoples. Hamas also condemns all forms of colonialism, occupation, discrimination, oppression and aggression in the world.
The document was announced at a press conference held by Hamas political bureau chief, Khaled Mishaal, with a number of leaders of the Movement, in the presence of elite writers, media outlets and researchers.
The 42 article document carries the essence of the Movement's thought and political legacy for 30 years now.
Hamas said in its document that it is an Islamic Palestinian national liberation movement aimed at liberating Palestine and confronting the Zionist project, indicating that Islam is a reference in its principles, objectives and means.
The Movement renewed its rejection of all projects aimed at settling the refugee issue, stressing that the right of return for Palestinian refugees is a natural right.
It also stressed that not an inch of Palestinian land will be handed over, indicating that the establishment of a state on the lines of 1967 does not mean the recognition of Israel.
The full text of the document is found in the following link:
A Document of General Principles and Policies
A Document of General Principles and Policies
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all worlds. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad, the Master of Messengers and the Leader of the mujahidin, and upon his household and all his companions.
Preamble:
Palestine is the land of the Arab Palestinian people, from it they originate, to it they adhere and belong, and about it they reach out and communicate.
Palestine is a land whose status has been elevated by Islam, a faith that holds it in high esteem, that breathes through it its spirit and just values and that lays the foundation for the doctrine of defending and protecting it.
Palestine is the cause of a people who have been let down by a world that fails to secure their rights and restore to them what has been usurped from them, a people whose land continues to suffer one of the worst types of occupation in this world.
Palestine is a land that was seized by a racist, anti-human and colonial Zionist project that was founded on a false promise (the Balfour Declaration), on recognition of a usurping entity and on imposing a fait accompli by force.
Palestine symbolizes the resistance that shall continue until liberation is accomplished, until the return is fulfilled and until a fully sovereign state is established with Jerusalem as its capital.
Palestine is the true partnership among Palestinians of all affiliations for the sublime objective of liberation.
Palestine is the spirit of the Ummah and its central cause; it is the soul of humanity and its living conscience.
This document is the product of deep deliberations that led us to a strong consensus. As a movement, we agree about both the theory and the practice of the vision that is outlined in the pages that follow. It is a vision that stands on solid grounds and on well-established principles. This document unveils the goals, the milestones and the way in which national unity can be enforced. It also establishes our common understanding of the Palestinian cause, the working principles which we use to further it, and the limits of flexibility used to interpret it.
The Movement:
1. The Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” is a Palestinian Islamic national liberation and resistance movement. Its goal is to liberate Palestine and confront the Zionist project. Its frame of reference is Islam, which determines its principles, objectives and means.
The Land of Palestine:
2. Palestine, which extends from the River Jordan in the east to the Mediterranean in the west and from Ras Al-Naqurah in the north to Umm Al-Rashrash in the south, is an integral territorial unit. It is the land and the home of the Palestinian people. The expulsion and banishment of the Palestinian people from their land and the establishment of the Zionist entity therein do not annul the right of the Palestinian people to their entire land and do not entrench any rights therein for the usurping Zionist entity.
3. Palestine is an Arab Islamic land. It is a blessed sacred land that has a special place in the heart of every Arab and every Muslim.
The Palestinian People:
4. The Palestinians are the Arabs who lived in Palestine until 1947, irrespective of whether they were expelled from it, or stayed in it; and every person that was born to an Arab Palestinian father after that date, whether inside or outside Palestine, is a Palestinian.
5. The Palestinian identity is authentic and timeless; it is passed from generation to generation. The catastrophes that have befallen the Palestinian people, as a consequence of the Zionist occupation and its policy of displacement, cannot erase the identity of the Palestinian people nor can they negate it. A Palestinian shall not lose his or her national identity or rights by acquiring a second nationality.
6. The Palestinian people are one people, made up of all Palestinians, inside and outside of Palestine, irrespective of their religion, culture or political affiliation.
Islam and Palestine:
7. Palestine is at the heart of the Arab and Islamic Ummah and enjoys a special status. Within Palestine there exists Jerusalem, whose precincts are blessed by Allah. Palestine is the Holy Land, which Allah has blessed for humanity. It is the Muslims’ first Qiblah and the destination of the journey performed at night by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. It is the location from where he ascended to the upper heavens. It is the birthplace of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. Its soil contains the remains of thousands of Prophets, Companions and Mujahidin. It is the land of people who are determined to defend the truth – within Jerusalem and its surroundings – who are not deterred or intimidated by those who oppose them and by those who betray them, and they will continue their mission until the Promise of Allah is fulfilled.
8. By virtue of its justly balanced middle way and moderate spirit, Islam – for Hamas - provides a comprehensive way of life and an order that is fit for purpose at all times and in all places. Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. It provides an umbrella for the followers of other creeds and religions who can practice their beliefs in security and safety. Hamas also believes that Palestine has always been and will always be a model of coexistence, tolerance and civilizational innovation.
9. Hamas believes that the message of Islam upholds the values of truth, justice, freedom and dignity and prohibits all forms of injustice and incriminates oppressors irrespective of their religion, race, gender or nationality. Islam is against all forms of religious, ethnic or sectarian extremism and bigotry. It is the religion that inculcates in its followers the value of standing up to aggression and of supporting the oppressed; it motivates them to give generously and make sacrifices in defence of their dignity, their land, their peoples and their holy places.
Jerusalem:
10. Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. Its religious, historic and civilizational status is fundamental to the Arabs, Muslims and the world at large. Its Islamic and Christian holy places belong exclusively to the Palestinian people and to the Arab and Islamic Ummah. Not one stone of Jerusalem can be surrendered or relinquished. The measures undertaken by the occupiers in Jerusalem, such as Judaization, settlement building, and establishing facts on the ground are fundamentally null and void.
11. The blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs exclusively to our people and our Ummah, and the occupation has no right to it whatsoever. The occupation’s plots, measures and attempts to judaize Al-Aqsa and divide it are null, void and illegitimate.
The Refugees and the Right of Return:
12. The Palestinian cause in its essence is a cause of an occupied land and a displaced people. The right of the Palestinian refugees and the displaced to return to their homes from which they were banished or were banned from returning to – whether in the lands occupied in 1948 or in 1967 (that is the whole of Palestine), is a natural right, both individual and collective. This right is confirmed by all divine laws as well as by the basic principles of human rights and international law. It is an inalienable right and cannot be dispensed with by any party, whether Palestinian, Arab or international.
13. Hamas rejects all attempts to erase the rights of the refugees, including the attempts to settle them outside Palestine and through the projects of the alternative homeland. Compensation to the Palestinian refugees for the harm they have suffered as a consequence of banishing them and occupying their land is an absolute right that goes hand in hand with their right to return. They are to receive compensation upon their return and this does not negate or diminish their right to return.
The Zionist Project:
14. The Zionist project is a racist, aggressive, colonial and expansionist project based on seizing the properties of others; it is hostile to the Palestinian people and to their aspiration for freedom, liberation, return and self-determination. The Israeli entity is the plaything of the Zionist project and its base of aggression.
15. The Zionist project does not target the Palestinian people alone; it is the enemy of the Arab and Islamic Ummah posing a grave threat to its security and interests. It is also hostile to the Ummah’s aspirations for unity, renaissance and liberation and has been the major source of its troubles. The Zionist project also poses a danger to international security and peace and to mankind and its interests and stability.
16. Hamas affirms that its conflict is with the Zionist project not with the Jews because of their religion. Hamas does not wage a struggle against the Jews because they are Jewish but wages a struggle against the Zionists who occupy Palestine. Yet, it is the Zionists who constantly identify Judaism and the Jews with their own colonial project and illegal entity.
17. Hamas rejects the persecution of any human being or the undermining of his or her rights on nationalist, religious or sectarian grounds. Hamas is of the view that the Jewish problem, anti-Semitism and the persecution of the Jews are phenomena fundamentally linked to European history and not to the history of the Arabs and the Muslims or to their heritage. The Zionist movement, which was able with the help of Western powers to occupy Palestine, is the most dangerous form of settlement occupation which has already disappeared from much of the world and must disappear from Palestine.
The position toward Occupation and Political Solutions:
18. The following are considered null and void: the Balfour Declaration, the British Mandate Document, the UN Palestine Partition Resolution, and whatever resolutions and measures that derive from them or are similar to them. The establishment of “Israel” is entirely illegal and contravenes the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and goes against their will and the will of the Ummah; it is also in violation of human rights that are guaranteed by international conventions, foremost among them is the right to self-determination.
19. There shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity. Whatever has befallen the land of Palestine in terms of occupation, settlement building, Judaization or changes to its features or falsification of facts is illegitimate. Rights never lapse.
20. Hamas believes that no part of the land of Palestine shall be compromised or conceded, irrespective of the causes, the circumstances and the pressures and no matter how long the occupation lasts. Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea. However, without compromising its rejection of the Zionist entity and without relinquishing any Palestinian rights, Hamas considers the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital along the lines of the 4th of June 1967, with the return of the refugees and the displaced to their homes from which they were expelled, to be a formula of national consensus.
21. Hamas affirms that the Oslo Accords and their addenda contravene the governing rules of international law in that they generate commitments that violate the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Therefore, the Movement rejects these agreements and all that flows from them, such as the obligations that are detrimental to the interests of our people, especially security coordination (collaboration).
22. Hamas rejects all the agreements, initiatives and settlement projects that are aimed at undermining the Palestinian cause and the rights of our Palestinian people. In this regard, any stance, initiative or political programme must not in any way violate these rights and should not contravene them or contradict them.
23. Hamas stresses that transgression against the Palestinian people, usurping their land and banishing them from their homeland cannot be called peace. Any settlements reached on this basis will not lead to peace. Resistance and jihad for the liberation of Palestine will remain a legitimate right, a duty and an honour for all the sons and daughters of our people and our Ummah.
Resistance and Liberation:
24. The liberation of Palestine is the duty of the Palestinian people in particular and the duty of the Arab and Islamic Ummah in general. It is also a humanitarian obligation as necessitated by the dictates of truth and justice. The agencies working for Palestine, whether national, Arab, Islamic or humanitarian, complement each other and are harmonious and not in conflict with each other.
25. Resisting the occupation with all means and methods is a legitimate right guaranteed by divine laws and by international norms and laws. At the heart of these lies armed resistance, which is regarded as the strategic choice for protecting the principles and the rights of the Palestinian people.
26. Hamas rejects any attempt to undermine the resistance and its arms. It also affirms the right of our people to develop the means and mechanisms of resistance. Managing resistance, in terms of escalation or de-escalation, or in terms of diversifying the means and methods, is an integral part of the process of managing the conflict and should not be at the expense of the principle of resistance.
The Palestinian Political System:
27. A real state of Palestine is a state that has been liberated. There is no alternative to a fully sovereign Palestinian State on the entire national Palestinian soil, with Jerusalem as its capital.
28. Hamas believes in, and adheres to, managing its Palestinian relations on the basis of pluralism, democracy, national partnership, acceptance of the other and the adoption of dialogue. The aim is to bolster the unity of ranks and joint action for the purpose of accomplishing national goals and fulfilling the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
29. The PLO is a national framework for the Palestinian people inside and outside of Palestine. It should therefore be preserved, developed and rebuilt on democratic foundations so as to secure the participation of all the constituents and forces of the Palestinian people, in a manner that safeguards Palestinian rights.
30. Hamas stresses the necessity of building Palestinian national institutions on sound democratic principles, foremost among them are free and fair elections. Such process should be on the basis of national partnership and in accordance with a clear programme and a clear strategy that adhere to the rights, including the right of resistance, and which fulfil the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
31. Hamas affirms that the role of the Palestinian Authority should be to serve the Palestinian people and safeguard their security, their rights and their national project.
32. Hamas stresses the necessity of maintaining the independence of Palestinian national decision-making. Outside forces should not be allowed to intervene. At the same time, Hamas affirms the responsibility of the Arabs and the Muslims and their duty and role in the liberation of Palestine from Zionist occupation.
33. Palestinian society is enriched by its prominent personalities, figures, dignitaries, civil society institutions, and youth, students, trade unionist and women’s groups who together work for the achievement of national goals and societal building, pursue resistance, and achieve liberation.
34. The role of Palestinian women is fundamental in the process of building the present and the future, just as it has always been in the process of making Palestinian history. It is a pivotal role in the project of resistance, liberation and building the political system.
The Arab and Islamic Ummah:
35. Hamas believes that the Palestinian issue is the central cause for the Arab and Islamic Ummah.
36. Hamas believes in the unity of the Ummah with all its diverse constituents and is aware of the need to avoid anything that could fragment the Ummah and undermine its unity.
37. Hamas believes in cooperating with all states that support the rights of the Palestinian people. It opposes intervention in the internal affairs of any country. It also refuses to be drawn into disputes and conflicts that take place among different countries. Hamas adopts the policy of opening up to different states in the world, especially the Arab and Islamic states. It endeavours to establish balanced relations on the basis of combining the requirements of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people’s interests on the one hand with the interests of the Ummah, its renaissance and its security on the other.
The Humanitarian and International Aspect:
38. The Palestinian issue is one that has major humanitarian and international dimensions. Supporting and backing this cause is a humanitarian and civilizational task that is required by the prerequisites of truth, justice and common humanitarian values.
39. From a legal and humanitarian perspective, the liberation of Palestine is a legitimate activity, it is an act of self-defence, and it is the expression of the natural right of all peoples to self-determination.
40. In its relations with world nations and peoples, Hamas believes in the values of cooperation, justice, freedom and respect of the will of the people.
41. Hamas welcomes the stances of states, organisations and institutions that support the rights of the Palestinian people. It salutes the free peoples of the world who support the Palestinian cause. At the same time, it denounces the support granted by any party to the Zionist entity or the attempts to cover up its crimes and aggression against the Palestinians and calls for the prosecution of Zionist war criminals.
42. Hamas rejects the attempts to impose hegemony on the Arab and Islamic Ummah just as it rejects the attempts to impose hegemony on the rest of the world’s nations and peoples. Hamas also condemns all forms of colonialism, occupation, discrimination, oppression and aggression in the world.
28 apr 2017
US president Donald Trump will soon reverse a longstanding US policy by officially recognizing the entire city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, according to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Thursday.
However, he will not implement his election campaign pledge to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during his upcoming visit in late May, the newspaper added.
He is also expected to express support for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, the paper noted.
Under a previous US policy, the city of Jerusalem was not recognized as the capital of Israel, as all former administrations did not recognize any party as sovereign in any part of Jerusalem.
In a related context, Trump will be hosting Palestinian Authority chief Abbas at the White House next week.
However, he will not implement his election campaign pledge to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during his upcoming visit in late May, the newspaper added.
He is also expected to express support for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, the paper noted.
Under a previous US policy, the city of Jerusalem was not recognized as the capital of Israel, as all former administrations did not recognize any party as sovereign in any part of Jerusalem.
In a related context, Trump will be hosting Palestinian Authority chief Abbas at the White House next week.
23 apr 2017
Palestinian Authority (PA) chief Mahmoud Abbas has issued an edict amending the code of criminal procedures in order to give the attorney general wide powers to take measures against citizens, including imposing travel bans.
A human rights source said, on condition of anonymity, that the new law amendment would affect the PA’s obligations towards human rights, including the right to travel.
The source condemned the step, saying that Abbas had exploited the absence of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), which he marginalized in the West Bank, and appointed himself a legislator.
He added that the new decree joined dozens of decisions that had been previously issued by Abbas, without getting approvals from the PLC.
For his part, Ammar Duwaik, director of the Independent Commission for Human Rights, said if the news about Abbas’s order to amend the code of criminal procedures was true, it would be the most serious decision taken against the rights of citizens since the inception of the PA.
“Such step does not bode well and it will take us to a new level of appropriating the basic rights that are enshrined in the basic law,” he stated.
A human rights source said, on condition of anonymity, that the new law amendment would affect the PA’s obligations towards human rights, including the right to travel.
The source condemned the step, saying that Abbas had exploited the absence of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), which he marginalized in the West Bank, and appointed himself a legislator.
He added that the new decree joined dozens of decisions that had been previously issued by Abbas, without getting approvals from the PLC.
For his part, Ammar Duwaik, director of the Independent Commission for Human Rights, said if the news about Abbas’s order to amend the code of criminal procedures was true, it would be the most serious decision taken against the rights of citizens since the inception of the PA.
“Such step does not bode well and it will take us to a new level of appropriating the basic rights that are enshrined in the basic law,” he stated.
22 apr 2017
by Dr. Daud Abdullah
It is perfectly normal for Palestinians to have political differences with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), but it is wholly unacceptable for any Palestinian, official or otherwise, to call for the destruction and burning of the Gaza Strip in order to crush the group. Such threats are manifestly shameful and can only result in national disaster.
The fact that they have been issued by officials in Ramallah with increasing regularity reveals the extent to which the Palestinian Authority has become embedded with the Israeli occupation, aside from “security cooperation”. The interests of PA officials, as well as their motives and ways of thinking, seem to be in complete sync with that of their Israeli counterparts. So intertwined with Israel is the PA rhetoric, in fact, that it is almost impossible to distinguish which is which.
Listen, for example, to any of the weekly sermons delivered in Ramallah’s Tashrifat Mosque by Mahmoud Habbash, the supreme judge and presidential adviser on religious affairs; compare their tone and content to statements by Israeli officials and you’ll find one fundamental message: there can be no peace or reconciliation with Hamas, so military confrontation is both desirable and inevitable. It is a truly scandalous state of affairs.
If seen from the point of view of national liberation and independence, instead of seeking to smash Hamas the PA should welcome the fact that the Israeli occupation army can no longer enter the Gaza Strip at will to vandalize and destroy the homes of Palestinian civilians or abduct their children. It should celebrate the fact that there are no Israeli settler gangs in the enclave that can destroy olive groves belonging to Palestinians and steal more of their land. Needless to say, the Israelis do all of these and more on the outskirts of Ramallah without as much as a whimper from the authority. When Palestinian villagers hold weekly protests at the growth of illegal settlements on their land and are attacked by Jewish settlers or Israeli soldiers — sometimes both at once — the PA’s 70,000 “security officers” are nowhere to be seen.
In as much as President Mahmoud Abbas and his cronies such as Habbash would like to change the status quo in Gaza, the PA does not have the military means or capability to carry out its threats. An undertaking of this magnitude would require the help and support of a neighboring power; in this case either Egypt or Israel. Recent history has shown that this is a likely scenario.
The bellicose rhetoric from Ramallah and Tel Aviv has given rise to much speculation about yet another Israeli-led military campaign against the Palestinians living in Gaza. If Habbash’s sermons and fatwas are anything to go by, Ramallah will, on this occasion, be overt in offering its blessings.
As for Egypt, its approval of another brutal Israeli military offensive would be no less forthcoming. For those with short memories, it is worth recalling that Israel’s 2008-09 Operation Cast Lead was launched less than 48 hours after the then Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, stood in Cairo on 25th December and declared that something had to be done about Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. “This is something that has to be stopped,” she said, “and this is what we’re going to do.” Two days later her threat was put into effect with devastating consequences for Palestinian civilians.
Fast forward to 2017 and a new wave of threats has reached a crescendo. Israel’s Minister of Defence [sic], the extreme right-wing fanatic Avigdor Lieberman, has vowed that there will be no half-way measures this time; the next murderous onslaught against Gaza will continue “until the other side waves the white flag.”
Despite the widespread public outrage at Habbash’s speeches, President Abbas has refused to distance himself from them, thus conveying tacit support for his vitriolic words. The truth of the matter is that there is no difference between the president’s views and that of his religious advisor. Speaking last week at a conference in Bahrain with the ambassadors of the State of Palestine to Arab and Islamic countries, Abbas threatened to take “unprecedented steps” to end the political division between his West Bank-based government and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. “These days, we are in a dangerous and tough situation that requires decisive steps,” he declared, “and we are going to take these decisive steps. We are going to take unprecedented steps in the coming days to end the division.”
After decades of diplomatic work on behalf of the Palestinian national movement, Mahmoud Abbas should know that reconciliation of any kind requires favorable conditions to thrive. Threats of fire and brimstone can only poison the atmosphere and perpetuate mistrust. He should remember that that the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are no less Palestinian than those in the West Bank; they too aspire to the same national objective of a free and independent Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. Why, then, should they be treated as enemies?
By withholding wages due to its own civil servants in Gaza and giving succour to Israeli jingoism, the PA in Ramallah will gain nothing. The only real beneficiary from such misguided policies will be the Occupying Power, Israel. It is high time for Ramallah to engage in an honest reality check and decide which side Abbas is actually on, Israel or Palestine. It’s still not too late.
– Dr. Daud Abdullah is Middle East Monitor Director.
It is perfectly normal for Palestinians to have political differences with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), but it is wholly unacceptable for any Palestinian, official or otherwise, to call for the destruction and burning of the Gaza Strip in order to crush the group. Such threats are manifestly shameful and can only result in national disaster.
The fact that they have been issued by officials in Ramallah with increasing regularity reveals the extent to which the Palestinian Authority has become embedded with the Israeli occupation, aside from “security cooperation”. The interests of PA officials, as well as their motives and ways of thinking, seem to be in complete sync with that of their Israeli counterparts. So intertwined with Israel is the PA rhetoric, in fact, that it is almost impossible to distinguish which is which.
Listen, for example, to any of the weekly sermons delivered in Ramallah’s Tashrifat Mosque by Mahmoud Habbash, the supreme judge and presidential adviser on religious affairs; compare their tone and content to statements by Israeli officials and you’ll find one fundamental message: there can be no peace or reconciliation with Hamas, so military confrontation is both desirable and inevitable. It is a truly scandalous state of affairs.
If seen from the point of view of national liberation and independence, instead of seeking to smash Hamas the PA should welcome the fact that the Israeli occupation army can no longer enter the Gaza Strip at will to vandalize and destroy the homes of Palestinian civilians or abduct their children. It should celebrate the fact that there are no Israeli settler gangs in the enclave that can destroy olive groves belonging to Palestinians and steal more of their land. Needless to say, the Israelis do all of these and more on the outskirts of Ramallah without as much as a whimper from the authority. When Palestinian villagers hold weekly protests at the growth of illegal settlements on their land and are attacked by Jewish settlers or Israeli soldiers — sometimes both at once — the PA’s 70,000 “security officers” are nowhere to be seen.
In as much as President Mahmoud Abbas and his cronies such as Habbash would like to change the status quo in Gaza, the PA does not have the military means or capability to carry out its threats. An undertaking of this magnitude would require the help and support of a neighboring power; in this case either Egypt or Israel. Recent history has shown that this is a likely scenario.
The bellicose rhetoric from Ramallah and Tel Aviv has given rise to much speculation about yet another Israeli-led military campaign against the Palestinians living in Gaza. If Habbash’s sermons and fatwas are anything to go by, Ramallah will, on this occasion, be overt in offering its blessings.
As for Egypt, its approval of another brutal Israeli military offensive would be no less forthcoming. For those with short memories, it is worth recalling that Israel’s 2008-09 Operation Cast Lead was launched less than 48 hours after the then Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, stood in Cairo on 25th December and declared that something had to be done about Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. “This is something that has to be stopped,” she said, “and this is what we’re going to do.” Two days later her threat was put into effect with devastating consequences for Palestinian civilians.
Fast forward to 2017 and a new wave of threats has reached a crescendo. Israel’s Minister of Defence [sic], the extreme right-wing fanatic Avigdor Lieberman, has vowed that there will be no half-way measures this time; the next murderous onslaught against Gaza will continue “until the other side waves the white flag.”
Despite the widespread public outrage at Habbash’s speeches, President Abbas has refused to distance himself from them, thus conveying tacit support for his vitriolic words. The truth of the matter is that there is no difference between the president’s views and that of his religious advisor. Speaking last week at a conference in Bahrain with the ambassadors of the State of Palestine to Arab and Islamic countries, Abbas threatened to take “unprecedented steps” to end the political division between his West Bank-based government and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. “These days, we are in a dangerous and tough situation that requires decisive steps,” he declared, “and we are going to take these decisive steps. We are going to take unprecedented steps in the coming days to end the division.”
After decades of diplomatic work on behalf of the Palestinian national movement, Mahmoud Abbas should know that reconciliation of any kind requires favorable conditions to thrive. Threats of fire and brimstone can only poison the atmosphere and perpetuate mistrust. He should remember that that the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are no less Palestinian than those in the West Bank; they too aspire to the same national objective of a free and independent Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. Why, then, should they be treated as enemies?
By withholding wages due to its own civil servants in Gaza and giving succour to Israeli jingoism, the PA in Ramallah will gain nothing. The only real beneficiary from such misguided policies will be the Occupying Power, Israel. It is high time for Ramallah to engage in an honest reality check and decide which side Abbas is actually on, Israel or Palestine. It’s still not too late.
– Dr. Daud Abdullah is Middle East Monitor Director.
17 apr 2017
Palestinian Authority (PA) security officers on Sunday night prevented local young men in Nablus from confronting Israeli occupation forces after they entered their neighborhood to retrieve two fellow undercover soldiers.
In a video leak, one PA officer was heard threatening to break the hands of anyone who throws stones at the Israeli soldiers.
This happened as senior PA officers were meeting with their Israeli counterparts before handing over two Israeli armed plain-clothes soldiers after they infiltrated into Nablus city.
There is still no information if these two soldiers or officers were on a mission in Nablus to kidnap Palestinians and why they entered the area without prior coordination with the PA liaison office.
A local source reported yesterday morning that a patrol vehicle boarded by PA national security officers intercepted a car after suspecting it in Rafidia neighborhood, west of the city, and found two men carrying pistols inside it.
Soon later, the source added, the two armed men were found to be Israeli undercover officers and then taken to a security office in al-Junaid prison, where contacts were seemingly made with the Israeli side to bring them back.
In a video leak, one PA officer was heard threatening to break the hands of anyone who throws stones at the Israeli soldiers.
This happened as senior PA officers were meeting with their Israeli counterparts before handing over two Israeli armed plain-clothes soldiers after they infiltrated into Nablus city.
There is still no information if these two soldiers or officers were on a mission in Nablus to kidnap Palestinians and why they entered the area without prior coordination with the PA liaison office.
A local source reported yesterday morning that a patrol vehicle boarded by PA national security officers intercepted a car after suspecting it in Rafidia neighborhood, west of the city, and found two men carrying pistols inside it.
Soon later, the source added, the two armed men were found to be Israeli undercover officers and then taken to a security office in al-Junaid prison, where contacts were seemingly made with the Israeli side to bring them back.
16 apr 2017
Palestinian Security Forces officer captured, on Saturday evening, two undercover Israeli soldiers, who infiltrated into Rafidia area, west of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and later handed them back to the Israeli army.
Palestinian security sources said the officers noticed a while car parked near “Nasser Center” shops, and captured two Israeli undercover soldiers carrying pistols, before taking them to Jneid Palestinian prison, west of Nablus.
Israeli soldiers then invaded Nablus city, from its western area, but withdrew shortly later after failing to locate the undercover officers.
Later, Palestinian security officers contacted the Israeli side, and arranged the transferred of the undercover soldier back to the military.
Palestinian security sources said the officers noticed a while car parked near “Nasser Center” shops, and captured two Israeli undercover soldiers carrying pistols, before taking them to Jneid Palestinian prison, west of Nablus.
Israeli soldiers then invaded Nablus city, from its western area, but withdrew shortly later after failing to locate the undercover officers.
Later, Palestinian security officers contacted the Israeli side, and arranged the transferred of the undercover soldier back to the military.
15 apr 2017
Hamas Movement said that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is leading a fourth aggression on Gaza on behalf of Israeli occupation authorities with his latest decisions on Gaza salary cuts.
The Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said, in a statement on Saturday, that Abbas is responsible for Gaza siege and isolation as well as the power and water crises other than the lack of health services.
Barhoum also held Abbas responsible for denying workers of their basic rights and suspending allocations of martyrs, the wounded and other needy categories.
The PA government started last month to cut salaries of Gaza employees by 30 to 50%.
Abbas along with his premier Rami al-Hamdallah have recently escalated verbal threats to take a series of procedures against the besieged Gaza Strip.
The Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said, in a statement on Saturday, that Abbas is responsible for Gaza siege and isolation as well as the power and water crises other than the lack of health services.
Barhoum also held Abbas responsible for denying workers of their basic rights and suspending allocations of martyrs, the wounded and other needy categories.
The PA government started last month to cut salaries of Gaza employees by 30 to 50%.
Abbas along with his premier Rami al-Hamdallah have recently escalated verbal threats to take a series of procedures against the besieged Gaza Strip.
Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, warned Israel of the explosion of conditions in the besieged Gaza Strip, holding it responsible for the consequences.
In a press conference held on Saturday in Gaza city, the Brigades told reporters that “Israel will pay for the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip”.
Al-Nasser Brigades asked some parties who call for giving up resistance to retract their calls and to adhere to resistance.
The armed wing also called on Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah’s government to cancel its latest decisions with regards to the salary cuts issue and to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people by offering basic services such as opening the border crossings and others.
The Brigades welcomed the delegation of Fatah Movement coming to Gaza and called on them to reach an agreement with Hamas Movement in order to achieve national unity.
They also urged Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories to escalate resistance against Israeli occupation and its offensive practices.
In a press conference held on Saturday in Gaza city, the Brigades told reporters that “Israel will pay for the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip”.
Al-Nasser Brigades asked some parties who call for giving up resistance to retract their calls and to adhere to resistance.
The armed wing also called on Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah’s government to cancel its latest decisions with regards to the salary cuts issue and to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people by offering basic services such as opening the border crossings and others.
The Brigades welcomed the delegation of Fatah Movement coming to Gaza and called on them to reach an agreement with Hamas Movement in order to achieve national unity.
They also urged Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories to escalate resistance against Israeli occupation and its offensive practices.