Violence and the Peace Process in the Palestinian Media.

Curses for Rabin on his Memorial Day

Columnist 'Atallah Abu Subh Ph'D, writes in the Hamas weekly, Al-Risala, "...To Yitzhak Rabin: On your memorial day they turned you into a myth. But I say: 'Let Allah condemn you to hell.' You have been a murderer, a spiller of blood and a racist. You are from amongst the first… replete with animosity and rot to your bones. The make-up that is put on our faces in order [for us to] see you through – is rotten…and even if it is fastened with nails - we will remove it in disgust, no matter how long it takes. We are confident that whatever was built on a lie - remains a lie.' To conclude, I say: '[let] Allah's curse be upon you in both this world and the Hereafter…'"

…and praise for Usama bin Laden

Deputy Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel writes in the Movement's weekly, under the title "Usama [bin Laden] and Shamel [Basayev], against the Drunken and the Base:"[1] "The US was confident that it would 'clean the world of terrorists' according to its own interpretation for those who demand the right and defend their people and homeland. But lo and behold, she is surprised by those who aim the arrows at her and tell her 'you are the defender of terrorism and every oppression in the world.'

'The injustice and violence are under your robe,' Bin Laden tells the base American president Clinton, Hillary's husband and Monica's lover. 'You are terrorist number one in the world, you who killed thousands of Iraqis with your missiles and daily bombings and starved hundreds of thousands of children to death with your siege of Iraq. How dare you [pretend] to grant vouchers of honesty [to others] and classify people into terrorists who should be killed… and those who behave properly and should be rewarded?'"

Calls for Martyrdom

Palestinian Authority (PA) Deputy Minister of Culture, Yahya Yakhlaf, in a commemoration ceremony of the Kufr Qasem massacre of 1956 said: "...What took place in Kufr Qasem [43 years ago] is repeated [these days] in new ways... The land plundering policy [of Israel] is still the practical application of Zionism [while] defending the land and martyrdom [Istishhad] are the practical application of [Palestinian] national [commitment]..."[2]

Former leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh 'Abdallah Nimr Darwish, at the same event said: "...The [Israeli] attack on the land... gives the attacked the right to fight against it, [while] the [Israeli] attack on the people gives them the right to choose martyrdom [Shahada]..."[3]

References to the "Armed Struggle"

Abu Ali Mustafa, Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine [PFLP] - who was recently allowed into the PA by Israel, stated:"...Our right to struggle is a legitimate right and we will apply all forms of struggle and adhere to our principles and to our people's historical rights. The PFLP [will not] give up the 'Armed Struggle' alternative..."[4]

Palestinian Legislative Council Chairman, Ahmad Qurei', [aka "Abu 'Alaa"], during a visit to China stated: "...Either [we achieve] a just peace that will guaranty the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, including [the] Return, self determination, and the establishment of an independent [Palestinian] state with Jerusalem as its capital - or there will be no peace but [rather] a return to the struggle in all its forms…"[5]

[Israeli-Arab] Knesset member Muhammad Baraka stressed the need to devise a strategy of combat on the ground, in order to enter the final status negotiations [in a better position]. He said, "...The Palestinian people cannot enter these negotiations on the basis of the [present] balance of power, because with this balance of power - we [are sure] to lose. [Therefore], we must establish an active balance of power on the ground..."[6]

Interview with a PA Minister

Following are excerpts from an interview given by PA Jerusalem Affairs Minister, Feisal Al-Husseini to the weekly Al-Sharq Al-Awsat:

"Al-Husseini: The Palestinians must again begin to fight on the ground [against] the settlement [activity]... Barak will not stop without struggle on the ground.

Al-Sharq Al-Awsat: What do you mean [by] 'fighting on the ground'?

"Al-Husseini: It means that the public [should] go into the streets to clash with the Israelis, in order to defend its property. The Israelis should know that any piece of land that they take will bring about a clash...

Al-Sharq Al-Awsat: But such a clash may cause the whole situation to blow-up.

"Al-Husseini: If it does - it will be Barak's responsibility, because he is the one who took control of the lands, counting on Palestinian lack of reaction.

Al-Sharq Al-Awsat:You are not worried about the implications [of such an explosion] on the entire peace process?

"Al-Husseini: The peace process is not a Palestinian interest, but rather an Israeli and international interest. Therefore, it is unreasonable that we should pay all of the cost. Either the Israelis pay a real price or they do not want peace."[7]

Muslim Clergy Voice Claims to Jerusalem and the Need for Jihad

Sheikh 'Ikrimeh Sabri, the PA appointed mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, in the Friday sermon in the Al-Aqsa mosque [November 5, 1999] stated: "...The entire Islamic nation has to act to terminate the Israeli occupation of the holy city and strengthen in it the presence of the Murabitun [Muslim warriors holding the front lines]. It is the religious [Islamic] duty [Fardh 'Ein] today, of each and every Muslim male and female...

Both east and west Jerusalem belong to the Arabs and Muslims because it is a Waqf land. Our properties in west Jerusalem are more than 70% of its territory and Israelis do not in fact have any land in Palestine..."[8]

"Hamas" leader, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, in a message to a Muslim gathering in Jenin, celebrating the prophet's ascension to heaven, according to the Islamic tradition, stated: "...On this anniversary we renew our commitment to Jihad until the land of Palestine is liberated, [for] it is a holy and Waqf land that cannot be surrendered..."[9]