Ziyad Nakhalah, the Secretary-General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said that reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah is impossible, describing any actions and mediations with the aim of doing so as ‘absurd.’ Nakhalah said, "You cannot combine two contradictory programs, one of which embraces resistance and the other rejects it."
Nakhalah noted that labeling the incident as ‘reconciliation’ gave the implication that it is a dispute between two tribes. He said what's right is that the dispute in the Palestinian arena is a dispute on campaigns and political visions, which was reflected on the ground.
According to Nakhakah, "There is more political discourse than there should be regarding this issue, for there is no agreement on what "Israel" is to us. Is it an enemy or a neighbor? As political powers, we have not even agreed on what to designate Israel."
Nakhalah: A Compromise with the Occupation is Impossible
Apropos the possibility of reaching a settlement or compromise with the Israeli occupation, Nakhalah said that is impossible. He stated that since 1993, PIJ has said that this path will end in failure and that it would lead the Palestinians into this predicament without being able to establish a Palestinian state.
PIJ Secretary-General sees that anyone who proposes compromising with the occupation is someone who does not understand the nature of the Zionist project. "You cannot establish a Palestinian state without shifting the balance of power through resistance," he added.
Nakhalah on the Importance of the Latest War for Palestine, Arab World
Nakhalah said that the latest war on Gaza is distinct from all previous wars, adding that it caused a notable change in Palestinian, Arab, and Israeli consciousness. It was able to "flat-iron Israeli consciousness on the one hand and increased the level of Arab and Palestinian consciousness."
According to SG Nakhalah, the Palestinian environment is very complicated, expressing his concern over the situation going back to pre-war square one with the continued siege on Gaza.
Al-Quds Is the Center of Everything
Speaking about what is happening in occupied Jerusalem, Nakhalah said, "What is happening is a battle between right and wrong," noting that "giving up Al-Quds means giving up the civilizational Islamic project in the region... for Al-Quds is the center of everything."
Nakhalah also addressed Arab normalization with "Israel," saying, "This normalization is a sign of defeat rather than strength."
"What interest does the UAE have in normalizing ties with "Israel"? It does not need money, weapons, nor welfare," he added.
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