We want to pursue a different resistance strategy, says Meshaal

The former head of the political bureau of Hamas said on Friday that Palestinians are able to ignite another intifada (popular uprising) in the face of the Israeli occupation. Khaled Meshaal made his comments in a programme on Al-Jazeera.

“Our current situation forces us to agree on the intifada’s strategy and steps,” explained Meshaal. “We want to pursue a different resistance strategy than before, after the failure of reaching an agreement under US sponsorship. We must ignite an intifada and popular resistance with a unified national decision.”

He pointed out that at this time Palestine is required to reach internal unity, cement Palestinian reconciliation, solve the problems of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and restructure Palestine’s internal affairs and institutions on the basis of partnership, adding:

If the Balfour Declaration was the first step towards the establishment of the State of Israel, we should be able to make Trump’s promise the first step towards ending Israel’s presence on Palestinian land.

The senior Hamas politician stressed the need to “run the political decision in a coordinative national approach to achieve the goal of forcing the US administration to cancel [Trump’s] decision.”

Read: Hamas leader calls for new intifada over Trump decision

A non-transient Intifada

According to Meshaal, such a popular reaction will not be as transient as many think. “It will continue to force the US administration to cancel the decision on Jerusalem.” He also pointed out that Palestinians gave a chance to the international community, Arab initiatives and the American administration, but in vain. “US President Donald Trump insists on igniting a religious conflict in the region. He will realise the foolish decision that he has made and will bear its consequences.”

Most countries in the world have denounced the US step, he noted. “This is good. However, they are not enough in the face of America’s demands of self-control. They are required to demand and pressure the US to cancel the decision on Jerusalem.”

Meshaal made reference to the allegations that some Arab countries have colluded with Washington. He called on them to carry out “strong steps, to have a clear position against the US decision and to carry out a series of political, economic and diplomatic steps in rejection of the US administration’s decision.”

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“Deal of the Century”

Donald Trump’s so-called “deal of the century” to find a solution for the Palestine-Israel conflict, said Meshaal, tramples over the Palestinian and Jordanian leadership and other parties. “It is a form of Arab normalisation with Israel, a process to ‘cleanse’ the Palestinian cause.” No single Arab has the right to sacrifice Palestine for conflicts and agendas in the region, he insisted. “Arabs should not accept less than America’s retraction of the Jerusalem decision.”

The Hamas leader called on the Palestinian leadership to react to the US step in a positive way and not meet with the American leadership. Furthermore, the Palestinian Authority should stop all security coordination with Israel and let the Palestinian people carry out an Intifada. “A strong Palestinian position will engender a strong Arab and Islamic position.”

When asked about Palestinian reconciliation, Meshaal noted that Trump’s declaration has created a fertile environment for a better reconciliation than before. “There is a possibility that reconciliation will lead to the mobilisation of Palestinian efforts, conflict management, political resolution on the ground and understandings with the Arab and Muslim milieu,” he concluded.

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