Fatah's Tirawi: Inflicting Casualties Is the Best Way to Get What We Want from Israel

Tawfiq Tirawi, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, recently said: "I support a powerful response by the resistance, but one that inflicts casualties, especially in the occupation army,... because this is the best way to influence them." He was speaking in a Mayadeen TV interview on August 19, 2014.

Tawfiq Tirawi: My dear brother, the Israelis do not understand the meaning of flexibility. For the Israelis, flexibility means that you are making concessions. This has been their notion for over twenty years. Throughout our negotiations with them, whenever we came up with a new suggestion and so on, they considered it to be a concession, and began exerting pressure, along with their allies, particularly the U.S., in order to get more out of us. The Israelis are responsive only when they suffer casualties and losses.

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Reporter: I conclude from what you have said that you support the position of the resistance that there must be a strong retaliation to the Israeli aggression. Please be brief, because I need to go over to our Cairo guest.

Tawfiq Tirawi: Yes, I support a powerful response by the resistance, but one that inflicts casualties especially in the occupation army. I am against inflicting civilian casualties, but I support it in the occupation army, because this is the best way to influence them. So yes, I support inflicting casualties among them, so that they will return to the negotiating table, and give us what we want.