Hamas Leader Khaled Mash'al in a Tehran Mosque: We Will Drive Them Out of the West Bank and All of Palestine"

Following are excerpts from an address by Hamas Leader Khaled Mash’al,which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on December 15, 2009.

Khaled Mash’al: When Israel was established, the Palestinian revolution broke out anew. We found British colonialism, and after 1948, the Palestinian revolution continued the resistance. The Palestinian people sacrificed all that was dear to it. The entire [Islamic] nation stood alongside the Palestinian people, and supported its revolution and its resistance to the occupation. Then came the first Intifada in 1987. Then came the second Intifada in 2000. Thus, the Palestinian people goes from revolution to revolution, from Intifada to Intifada, and from resistance to resistance.

The Zionists and the people who are behind them think that the resolve of the Palestinian people will be broken, and that this people will weaken and surrender. But a people that has fought the Zionists and those behind them for 100 years, and continues to fight them, despite its limited capabilities, will be victorious, Allah willing.

Even though these people are under siege, they manufacture weapons, develop the means of resistance, and have invented the heroic martyrdom operations. It is a people that will be victorious, with the help of God. You and we will defeat the enemies of this nation.

Let me remind you that the Palestinian cause is your cause – just as it is the cause of every Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim – that the Zionists are our enemy, and that Israel is everybody’s enemy.

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Our nation consists of many sects and of Arabs and non-Arabs – but we are one nation. We should act like a nation, concentrating our power and capabilities on the common enemy – especially Israel. Whoever stands alongside Israel – we will confront him.

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You, my brothers, are in Iran. Some may say: What does Iran have to do with Palestine?

Man in audience: With soul and blood, we will redeem you, Gaza.

Crowds chant: With soul and blood, we will redeem you, Gaza.

With soul and blood, we will redeem you, Gaza.

With soul and blood, we will redeem you, Gaza.

Khaled Mash’al: Dear brothers, the Prophet Muhammad said: “He who does not care about the Muslims is not considered one of them.” Every Muslim must care about his Muslim brethren. Therefore, it is only natural for Iran to stand alongside Palestine, and it is only natural for Iran to be against Israel, just like it is only natural for all Arab and Islamic countries to stand alongside Palestine and against Israel. The unnatural thing is for an Arab or Islamic country to stand alongside Israel. That is the unnatural thing.

Iran’s leadership, president, government, parliament, and people have stood alongside Palestine, Gaza, the resistance, and Hamas, and may Allah reward you for this. This is a great stand, which we appreciate. We, in the Arab region... Some people accuse us of being supported by Iran. It is an honor for us to have the support of Iran, and to have the support of the Arab and Islamic countries.

But it is a disgrace that there are [countries] that receive aid from the US, or from the enemies of this nation, or that collaborate with Israel and coordinate with it in security matters. That is what is disgraceful. It is by no means disgraceful for Muslims to cooperate with one another. It is their duty to do so.

Let me tell you that when you support Palestine and the resistance in the land of Palestine, you are supporting a victorious enterprise, Allah willing. The resistance on the land of Palestine will be victorious and will drive those Zionists out of our land. We have driven them out of Gaza, even if they continue to besiege it. We will drive them out of the West Bank and all our Palestinian land, Allah willing.

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Our mission and your mission is to liberate Palestine, to regain Jerusalem, and to cleanse the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This will not be achieved by begging for alms, by relying on the enemies, or by the futile negotiations. It will be achieved by means of Jihad and resistance, and with Jihad and resistance come politics, and acts of popular struggle and all kinds of activity. But the resistance is the main thing.