In recent statements following the evacuation of the Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) declared, "The 'lesser jihad' has ended and the 'greater jihad' of construction, development, security, and tranquility for the Palestinian people has begun." [1] He said that the evacuation was achieved thanks to the sacrifice and blood of the Palestinians, but added that after the Gaza Strip was emptied of settlers and the Israeli army, there would no longer be a need for resistance or weapons.
The following are excerpts from recent statements by Abu Mazen:
The "Greater Jihad" of Construction and Development Has Begun
The Palestinian Authority daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reported that Abu Mazen said in a speech to the Palestinian youth parliament that the "lesser jihad" had ended and that the Palestinian people was now "standing before the 'greater jihad,' which is construction, development, and achieving security and tranquility for our people. We want to live like the rest of the peoples of the world. After the evacuation of the settlers from Gaza, a solution needs to be reached for the West Bank and Jerusalem and a just solution must be found for the refugee problem." Then, he said, "we will sign a peace treaty with Israel. In that way, we will have peace and they will have security... We have decided to establish a housing project for 3,000 Palestinians, with funding from Sheikh Khalifa Ibn Zaid, on the lands of Morag..." [2]
According to Al-Hayat Al-Jadida,Abu Mazen reiterated, in a talk with the wounded and disabled in Gaza, that the Palestinians are now "standing before the 'greater jihad,' which is the development of the homeland and its construction and changing our people's lives. From here we will begin to develop, to build, to invest, and to protect our land and homeland... The land from which the settlers are being evacuated is state land and no one has the right to make use of it [as privately-owned land]. We need to invest in it for the benefit of our people, and it is forbidden to any individual. It will be used for projects in housing, the economy, water, and tourism." [3]
Addressing Rafah residents, Abu Mazen praised their sacrifices and promised to build a new house for every resident whose home had been destroyed in the course of the Intifada. He said, "The most important step after the [Israeli] withdrawal is [to assess] how to protect the land, how to build it, and how to preserve its resources and to turn it into a cultural model like in the [rest of the] world. We must rehabilitate our land and develop the national economy so that [its] residents may live in dignity, security, and tranquility." [4]
"The Martyrs Paved the Way"
Abu Mazen congratulated the martyrs and their families, saying that they had paved and illuminated the way so that the Palestinian people could reach the moment of seeing the removal of the occupation. In his congratulations for the wounded and disabled, Abu Mazen said, "They need to be truly cared for, not just by [Palestinian] society but [also] by the Palestinian Authority, and therefore we have decided to allocate 5% of all government positions to them, so that they will feel that they are useful to society." He added that the withdrawal should also be credited to the prisoners, saying that the time had come for the tens of thousands of prisoners to emerge from behind bars and breathe the air of freedom. He said, "We will continue the quest until not a single prisoner is left in the Israeli jails." [5]
The Evacuation of the Settlers from Gaza is a First Step
Abu Mazen further said to Gaza residents: "We are celebrating a great historic celebration at the settlers' departure from the Gaza Strip, which was achieved as a result of the Palestinian people's sacrifice, forbearance, and persistence." He added that the withdrawal was a first step that would culminate in Jenin, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. [6]
In his address to the wounded and disabled in Gaza, Abu Mazen said that the departure of the last of the settlers from the Gaza Strip was part of the compensation that the Palestinian people was receiving today for the injuries that had left scars on their bodies and souls. He told them, "You have seen with your own eyes the results of your struggle. It is a great thing when someone sacrifices himself for the sake of Allah, the homeland, and the nation, and for the sake of his children, and sees the true compensation with his own eyes... This is a departure from our land, but we will not rest or close our eyes until we see all of the settlers in the West Bank leave it." [7]
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After the Gaza Strip is Emptied of Settlers and the Israeli Army, There Will Be No Need for Resistance and Weapons
In an interview with AFP, Abu Mazen said: "After the Gaza Strip has been emptied of settlers and of the [Israeli] army, I don't believe there will be any need for resistance or weapons."
The PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reported that in an interview with Radio Monte Carlo, Abu Mazen said that the PA would work with the Palestinian factions through "dialogue."
In the AFP interview, Abu Mazen said, "We will work through dialogue and cooperate with our brothers through negotiations, and we will reach solutions."
Regarding the small armed organizations, he said, "All we ask is that they return to their bases, and if they do not do so, we will deal with them in a way that will put an end to the phenomenon [of carrying weapons in public]."
Regarding the large Palestinian organizations, Abu Mazen said, "The dialogue with them will be conducted through the [PLO] Executive Committee and the Palestinian National Council, and in the future, through elections. These organizations want elections, and they are rushing towards change democratically and through party [politics]." He continued, "Fighting among Palestinians is forbidden. Everyone is aware of their responsibility and knows how important it is to get through [this] period peacefully… We have said from the beginning that there is no need for the militarization of the Intifada. I know that there is no alternative but to go in a different direction – that of negotiations." [8]
[1] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA), August 21, 2005. The term "greater jihad" had already been used by Abu Mazen following the presidential elections in reference to the attempt to achieve peace, in a meeting with Christian clergymen. At the meeting, he had said: "As I have already said, the 'lesser jihad' has ended and the 'greater jihad' has come, and the meaning of 'greater jihad' is the attempt to achieve peace" ( Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA), January 14, 2005). The expressions "greater jihad" and "lesser jihad" that Abu Mazen is using are from a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, which appeared in various non-canonical compilations of hadith s such as the sunan of Ahmad ibn Al-Husein Al-Bayhaqi (d. 1066). According to the hadith, the Prophet said to those returning from the battles: "You came from the best place, from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad." They said: "What is the greater jihad?" He said: "When man overcomes his urges."
[2] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Palestinian Authority), August 21, 2005. Morag is one of the Israeli Gaza settlements.
[3] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Palestinian Authority), August 23, 2005.
[4] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Palestinian Authority), August 20, 2005.
[5] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Palestinian Authority), August 21, 2005.
[6] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Palestinian Authority), August 20, 2005.
[7] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Palestinian Authority), August 23, 2005.
[8] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Palestinian Authority), August 20, 2005.
