SYRIA: Hamas leader Meshaal calls for resistance during Islamic Jihad anniversary celebrations

Record ID: 279099

  • Title: SYRIA: Hamas leader Meshaal calls for resistance during Islamic Jihad anniversary celebrations
  • Date: 7th November 2009
  • Summary: YARMOUK CAMP, SYRIA (NOVEMBER 6, 2009) (REUTERS) HAMAS LEADER KHALED MESHAAL AND ISLAMIC JIHAD GOVERNMENT LEADER RAMADAN SHALLAH MESHAAL THE AUDIENCE MESHAAL PREPARING TO DELIVER HIS SPEECH MESHAAL TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) KHALED MESHAAL, HAMAS LEADER, SAYING: "The resignation or not standing for the elections may cause some embarrassment for some regional and in
  • Embargoed: 22nd November 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAC269R9BDZ29H1LK9H89JMI9SB
  • Story Text: Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Friday (November 6) reacted to news of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's decision not to stand for re-election.
    During an address at Yarmouk Camp in Syria a day after Abbas's announcement, Meshaal said: "The resignation or not standing for the elections may cause some embarrassment for some regional and international parties but what we saw yesterday was fast and not embarrassing for them because they do not have feelings of embarrassment. We saw Hillary Clinton and the Americans act like if they did not hear anything. They will deal with the new facts so, I think, it is courage from the leaders of the Palestinian people to be honest with our people with the result of the compromise since Oslo till now. We decide together today to suspend and freeze the project of the political compromise."
    He was speaking in the camp where most Palestinian refugees live in Syria.
    Meshaal was attending a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Jihad movement.
    He called for "resistance" in order to get the Palestinian rights.
    "Going to our real national choices. Any leader who insists on Jerusalem, the return right, the territories even if they were the territories on the 1967 borders and ending the settlement should know that the way to that is not through negotiations or betting on the Americans but through resistance and the national unity", Meshaal said.
    Chief Palestinian Saeb Erekat, said earlier that the Palestinians may have to abandon the goal of an independent state if Israel continues to expand Jewish settlements and the United states does not stop it.
    Israel has rejected the idea of a de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank, incorporating the Palestinian as citizens, as "demographic timebom" that would make Jews minority.
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