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Nazzal: Recognizing Israel is political suicide for Hamas

The member of the Hamas Movement’s political bureau, Mohammed Nazzal, has described recognizing the Hebrew state as "political suicide" for Hamas that will never occur. Nazzal’s remarks came during an interview with the Kuwaiti Al-Qabas newspaper in the Kuwaiti capital Kuwait during his visit to the Gulf state.

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The member of the Hamas Movement’s political bureau, Mohammed Nazzal, has described recognizing the Hebrew state as "political suicide" for Hamas that will never occur.

Nazzal’s remarks came during an interview with the Kuwaiti Al-Qabas newspaper in the Kuwaiti capital Kuwait during his visit to the Gulf state.

He added that Hamas had derived the lessons of the previous PA governments that came under continuous Israeli and American extortion, and therefore, it will not repeat the mistakes of those previous (Fatah-controlled) governments.

The Hamas’ political leader asserted that his Movement was and still is sincere in forming a national coalition government that consolidates Palestinian ranks and unites their political stands, as it was the pioneer in calling for such a government in the first day it was commissioned to form the new PA government.

But, he added, the sudden declaration of the PA chief Mahmoud Abbas of "freezing" discussions with Hamas over the unity government that was made one day prior to his trip to Washington "surprised us", and clearly indicated presence of diversified opinions within Fatah regarding the unity government and the existence of an influential group in the Fatah leadership objecting to such a government.

He unequivocally accused former PA official and Fatah MP Mohammed Dahlan of leading the "opposition group" against joining Hamas in a national coalition government within Fatah, describing him as one of the symbols of the "extermination current" that resists any Fatah-Hamas understanding.

Nazzal, however, shrugged off a question on what will happen if Hamas’ political program failed, asserting that Hamas must first be given the chance to implement its political program it was elected on before being judged.

"Hamas wasn’t given, till now, the ample time and chance to carry out its political program in the Palestinian arena as international, regional, and local powers politically and economically besieged the PA elected government on the first day it assumed duties", Nazzal noted.

But he acknowledged that the situation in the Palestinian arena is "very hard", and that what was going on in the Palestinian arena aimed at toppling the current government, adding that his Movement obtained "reliable" information that there is an intention in the PA presidency to form an "emergency" government that, if happened, would finish off the political system in the PA.

Furthermore, Nazzal accused the USA and its international allies of blackmailing the Palestinian people and government and fighting them in their sustenance to force them bow to their political demands in recognizing the Hebrew state and abandoning the legitimate Palestinian resistance, describing such demands as "political suicide" for Hamas if it accepted them.

He explained that Israel’s political demands have no end, citing the tremendous and continuous pressures and demands exerted by Israel on the late PA chief Yasser Arafat despite the compromises he gave to them, adding that Hamas will not repeat the "mistakes" of others.

He revealed that Abbas came under tremendous pressures from certain parties from within Fatah, and from outside forces, especially the USA, that explains his sudden suspension of the discussions on unity government.

Nazzal also emphasized that Hamas is still enjoying the support of the majority of the Palestinian people despite the "frenzied" blackmail campaigns against it and the seven-month unjust economic blockade against it, citing the latest victories his Movement achieved in a number of important syndicate elections, including the accountants and auditors and the paramedics’ syndicates.

Hamas very much concerned with the prisoners’ issue:
Nazzal, moreover, described his Movement’s relationship with Arab governments as "good" and that it was bridging those relations further as he hailed Kuwait for the continuous political and financial support it was offering to the Palestinian people that hit a snag only during the Iraqi invasion to Kuwait in 1990.

Responding to a question on the latest developments in the captured IOF serviceman Gilad Shalit’s issue, Nazzal underscored that Hamas was very much concerned with the issue of the more than 10,000 Palestinian inmates languishing in Israeli jails, and hence, it was engaging in negotiations in this regard to secure the freedom of as many Palestinian inmates as it could, especially children, women, and sick detainees among others.