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Hamas calls on Abbas to give up on US as mediator

January 26, 2018 at 2:03 pm

Senior member of Hamas, Osama Hamdan in Gaza on January 20, 2013 [Eyad Al Baba/Apaimages]

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement has called on President Mahmoud Abbas to stop banking on the United States as a mediator in the peace process with Israel. Instead, said Hamas, the Palestinian Authority leader should align with the Palestinian people’s choice to resist the Israeli occupation.

“Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and transfer the US Embassy from Tel Aviv will not change the Palestinian people’s adherence to their land, including Jerusalem as their future capital for Muslims and Christians,” Osama Hamdan told Quds Press. “The decisions taken by the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organisation a few days ago are below expectations,” the senior official added.

Hamas officials sought to form a consultative body to set a ceiling for the meetings, stop security coordination with Israel, declare the collapse of the settlement and return to resistance, but that was not possible, explained Hamdan. “Betting on the US is a gamble that cannot be won and trying to find an alternative to the US is not a wise option. As such, our message to President Abbas is to adopt the people’s choice and resist, and he will not lose.”

Asked if there is regional support for the resistance choice, Hamdan pointed out that the regional environment does not accept the “deal of the century”, and nor do the Palestinians. “Our rejection of the deal will encourage the regional group which opposes the deal,” he claimed, “so those who support the deal will have no choice but to reject it as well.”

US Vice President Mike Pence concluded a tour to the region earlier this week. He confirmed that the US Embassy will be transferred from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem “before the end of 2019.”

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