Deputy Head of Hamas Political Bureau Musa Abu Marzouq Envisions a Federal Palestinian State, Like Switzerland or the U.S.

Musa Abu Marzouq, deputy head of the political bureau of Hamas, said in a recent interview that a federal state consisting of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank "could be better than the current rift." "Many countries were united by this form of government," including Switzerland, the UAE, and the United States, he said, speaking on the Egyptian channel Al-Ghad Al-Arabi TV on December 30.

Interviewer: In your opinion, regardless of the extent of the internal Palestinian disputes, there will never be any independence aspirations in Gaza?

Musa Abu Marzouq: No, that's impossible. There cannot be a Palestinian state in Gaza [alone], nor can there be a Palestinian state without Gaza. That is something...

Interviewer: And there cannot be a federal state either...

Musa Abu Marzouq: Look... A federal state with whom?

Interviewer: The Gaza Strip and the West Bank, for example.

Musa Abu Marzouq: Well, if things continue the way they are, a federal state consisting of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank could be better than the current rift...

Interviewer: It's not a rift, but a division...

Musa Abu Marzouq: No, it is both a rift and a division. There is a geographical division and a separation in practical terms. There is one administration here and another there, and this is wrong. If a single federal government is established... Many countries were united by this form of government. Switzerland, the UAE, the United States - there are a thousand federal states.

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