The concluding announcement issued by the Arab League foreign ministers following their November 19, 2017 emergency meeting in Cairo declared Hizbullah a terrorist organization and accused it of "supporting terrorism and terrorist organizations in the Arab states by [supplying them with] advanced weapons and ballistic missiles."[1]Hamas, in response, issued an official statement in which it condemned the designation of Hizbullah and other "resistance organizations" as terror organizations, and stressed its "surprise" at the announcement's failure to include "reference to the Zionist terrorism that is implemented daily towards the Palestinian people, their land, and their holy places."[2]
Additionally, Hamas political bureau member Moussa Abu Marzouq tweeted, from his personal account: "Hizbullah is not a terror organization, and if this designation is accepted, we can all expect a similar fate. We must all agree to direct the Arab political focus [at] Palestine and Jerusalem." He also tweeted: "The Arab foreign ministers' decision to characterize Hizbullah as terrorist does not stem from [Hizbullah's] involvement in dear Syria, but is aimed at confronting Iran and the elements connected to it. He added: "This trend is problematic for two reasons. One, diverting the [Arab] focus from Israel and allying with it; [Israel] is certainly not Sunni. Two, next time, the resistance forces – Hamas, [Palestinian Islamic] Jihad, and others – will be the ones [they] set [their] sights on, for the same reason."[3]
Abu Marzouq's tweets
Abu Marzouq's tweets prompted a response from Jamil Al-Dhiabi, the editor-in-chief of the Saudi government daily 'Okaz, who wrote a scathing article condemning Abu Marzouq and Hamas and accusing them of ingratitude. Another expression of the tension between Saudi Arabia and Hamas was a headline in 'Okaz, which declared: "Hamas Follows in Hizbullah's Footsteps, [Saying]: 'Our Weapons Are a Red Line.'" The article reported on statements by Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya expressing the movement's refusal to disarm.[4]
The following are excerpts from Jamil Al-Dhiabi's article:[5]
Jamil Al-Dhiabi (image:sabq.org)
"It is evident from Abu Marzouq's ruling [i.e. statement], that Hizbullah [is not a terror organization], that Hamas is adhering to the Muslim Brotherhood agenda, and to the continuation of the Palestinian schism. As long as Hamas is inclined [to support] the Iranian destruction – the terrorist Hizbullah being the clearest embodiment of this destruction and its trends – this agenda will transcend the borders of the Gaza Strip. The Arab League's designation of the Lebanese party that is serving Iran [i.e. Hizbullah] as a terrorist organization did not come out of nowhere... [but] is grounded in evidence backed by documents about the essence of Hizbullah, the goals of its plans, and its interventions as an Iranian proxy with the aim of taking over the Arab world.
"The significance of Abu Marzouq's objection to this Arab consensus [that Hizbullah is a terrorist organization] is that he and his movement are deviating from what is accepted [in the Arab world], are supporting the Rule of the Jurisprudent [of Iran], and are pleased with its [Iran's] criminal deeds. This behavior on the part of Abu Marzouq reflects a great deal of denial of the [years-]long efforts of Saudi Arabia and its steadfast positions vis-à-vis the Palestinian cause. These efforts are more significant than those of Abu Marzouq and the [other] ungrateful ideologues of his ilk. They are salient efforts discussed in history books since the era of the founding monarch King Abd Al-'Aziz Al-Rahman Aal-Saud, through [the eras of] all the Saudi kings up to our time.
"Riyadh was and remains a permanent station of Palestinian leaders – even of those who adopted the Muslim Brotherhood's ideas, and are nourished on the counterfeit slogans of Doha and Tehran. For this reason, Abu Marzouq can be seen as one of Saudi Arabia's haters, who are hostile to it, to its correct positions, and to its status in the hearts of the Palestinians – alongside whom it has continued to stand fast in the trench since 1948. With this title [of hater], he is added to [the list of] corrupt [politicians] who are bought with money, who make a living off of and benefit from selling out the [Palestinian] cause in order to actualize the aspirations of Iran, and to transmit Hizbullah's criminal plans and schemes..."
