Israel Matzav

Hamas' Zahar: 'We need a foothold in 'West Bank' to finish Israel off quickly'

For those of you who think that 'negotiating' with a 'Palestinian Authority' that includes Hamas is no big deal, please consider the words of Hamas Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar, a doctor who slits throats for a living. This is from the first link.

Last week, Hamas Political Bureau member Mahmoud Al-Zahar stated that Hamas wants to build an Islamic state in all of Palestine, meaning it would replace Israel:

"[Some] have said Hamas wants to create an Islamic emirate in Gaza. We won't do that, but we will build an Islamic state in Palestine, all of Palestine."

[Al-Ayyam, Oct. 1, 2014]

Al-Zahar further said that if Hamas had a military foothold in the West Bank as it does in the Gaza Strip it would be able to destroy Israel. He alluded to a possible future war of destruction against Israel by citing a Surah from the Quran about "the final promise", which speaks of destroying "the enemies" and "what they had taken over with [total] destruction" [Surah 17:7]:

"Al-Zahar said that if his movement [Hamas] were to 'transfer what it has or just a small part of it to the West Bank, we would be able to settle the battle of the final promise with a speed that no one can imagine.'"

His expression "The final promise" is taken from Surah 17:7 of the Quran: "Then when the final promise came, [We sent your enemies]... to enter the temple in Jerusalem, as they entered it the first time, and to destroy what they had taken over with [total] destruction.'"(trans. Sahih International) Hamas using it in the context of Israel is promising a future war of destruction against Israel.

A recent Palestinian poll shows that Hamas indeed has a strong base of support in the West Bank. Last week, the Palestinian Center for Policy and Research found that were elections to be held now between Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Haniyeh would win with 55% support compared to 38% for Abbas. Interestingly, Haniyeh would win with only 50% - 47% in Gaza but on the West Bank Hamas' Haniyeh is even stronger winning 57% to 33% over Abbas.

Read the whole thing.  What could go wrong?

Labels: Hamas, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Judea and Samaria, Mahmoud al-Zahar

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:23 PM