Following are excerpts from an interview with Abd Al-Bari Atwan, former editor-in-chief of Al-Quds Al-Arabi, which aired on Mayadeen TV on July 14, 2014:
Abd Al-Bari Atwan: The vast majority of the countries participating in [the Arab League] summit consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization. These countries pray – all those foreign ministers are praying – that Israel will manage to get rid of Hamas once and for all. They support the Israeli planes bombing the Gaza Strip under the pretext of getting rid of Hamas and stopping the missiles.
[…]
Is it conceivable that such an "urgent" meeting is convened only 7-8 days after the Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip began?! Why did it take them so long? The reason was that they wanted to give the Israeli planes and tanks the opportunity to invade Gaza and destroy the resistance. There are 18 resistance movements in Gaza. It's not only Hamas.
They took their time to allow Israel to destroy the resistance once and for all. This meeting was summoned by Kuwait. Why didn't Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas summon it, and from day one? The reason is that he does not want the Arabs to convene. He does not want them to decide that this aggression must be stopped.
[…]
Yizhak Rabin once said that he hoped to wake up one day and see Gaza had sunk into the sea. By God, the Arab regimes and leaders have outdone Rabin in this. They would like the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the entire Palestinian people to sink into the sea with no survivors.
[…]