Uniting with Terrorism: The Hamas-Fatah Unity MOU

Uniting with Terrorism: The Hamas-Fatah Unity MOU

On April 27, 2011, Hamas and Fatah initialed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on reconciliation between the two organizations. Chairman of Hamas’ Political Bureau Khalid Mashaal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are set to sign the MOU in Cairo.

Despite Palestinian attempts to depict this as a positive step, the fact is that Hamas retains its basic character as a terrorist organization, rejecting moves towards a peaceful solution of the conflict while supporting global jihad.

It is not necessary to look farther than Hamas’ announcement following the death of Osama bin Laden to comprehend the extent of its terroristic nature and character. On May 2nd, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh condemned the “murder” of bin Laden, praising him as a “holy warrior.” Haniyeh stated that “…we regard this as a continuation of the US policy based upon oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood …we most certainly condemn the murder of this Arab and Muslim holy warrior. May Allah have mercy upon him and may he take his rightful place together with the Martyrs and the Righteous.”

Hamas’ rejection of the path of peace and of the Quartet conditions, as well as its dedication to the path of terrorism can be seen in the interviews and press conferences it held the day the unity MOU was initialed.

The three Quartet (the US, EU, UN and Russia) conditions for any Palestinian government to attain international legitimacy and cooperation (recognizing Israel's right to exist, renouncing terrorism and violence, and accepting previous agreements and obligations) were ignored in the agreement. In the press conference aired on Al-Jazeera TV on April 27, 2011, Deputy Head of Hamas Political Bureau Moussa Abu Marzouq stated: “Now the Quartet has become obsolete, along with its terms, and it is not taken too much into consideration. The Quartet and its terms were not mentioned in these understandings even once.”

That same day, Hamas’ Foreign Minister in Gaza, Mahmoud al-Zahhar, declared on Al-Jazeera Hamas' continued support for terrorism, stating: “We believe in armed struggle, in addition to responsible governing, as well as making the government's resources available to the resistance [terrorism].“

Al-Zahhar also rejected the concept of peaceful negotiations, noting: “Our perspective is entirely different from that of Fatah. Fatah believes in negotiations, while we believe that negotiations with the Israeli enemy are in vain.”

Hamas has a long record of using terror and violence against innocent civilians. Since its establishment Hamas has perfected its murderous attacks on innocent civilians through suicide bombings on buses and in restaurants, and the firing of rockets and mortars on population centers. Hamas has continued its relentless efforts to smuggle deadly weapons to the Gaza Strip, with the assistance of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. According to its own statements, Hamas has neither intention to reform, nor the will to moderate.

The Hamas Charter clearly states (Article Thirteen): "There is no solution to the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. The initiatives, proposals and International Conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility."

The Palestinian Authority should not engage with Hamas until that organization is willing to abide by the Quartet conditions, including recognizing Israel and rejecting terrorism. Peace cannot be reached with a Palestinian administration composed of those who seek only death and destruction, who support global jihad and engage in terrorism, and who reject negotiations and the will of the international Quartet.

ENDS

© Scoop Media