Fatah official: Palestinians have "right" to use terror to "liberate our homeland"
Fatah official: Palestinians have "right" to use terror
to "liberate our homeland"
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Itamar Marcus
A senior Fatah leader, Nabil Shaath, said three times in a short interview that the Palestinians have a right to use "armed struggle," the Palestinian euphemism for terror. In fact Shaath said that this right is "indisputable." [Fatah-run Awdah TV, The Story of a Photograph, Jan. 23, 2017]
According to Shaath, the goal of using violence is to "liberate our homeland," after which a "Palestinian Arab democratic state" will exist, and Jews, Muslims and Christians will live in "Palestine" together.
The fundamental condition under which the PLO and Fatah, the movement headed by Mahmoud Abbas, were taken off the list of terror organizations was that they had committed to giving up terror. This statement by a senior Fatah leader contradicts the PLO's commitment and is a reiteration that Fatah has never attempted to fulfill the terms for which it was removed from the list of terror organizations. As Shaath said, Fatah claims that violence against Israel, including the killing of Israeli civilians, is legitimate "resistance."
The PLO's commitments to stop terror include the following:
“The PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators.”
[Letters of Mutual Recognition, Sept. 9, 1993]
“1. Both sides shall take all measures necessary in order to prevent acts of terrorism, crime and hostilities directed against each other, against individuals falling under the other's authority and against their property and shall take legal measures against offenders.”
“2. Both sides will, in accordance with this Agreement, act to ensure the immediate, efficient and effective handling of any incident involving a threat or act of terrorism, violence or incitement, whether committed by Palestinians or Israelis... Each side shall immediately and effectively respond to the occurrence or anticipated occurrence of an act of terrorism, violence or incitement and shall take all necessary measures to prevent such an occurrence.”
Significantly, as documented by Palestinian Media Watch, for the PA “effective handling of any... act of terrorism” is to reward the “act of terrorism” with high salaries for terrorists, and honor the terrorists as “heroes” As PMW has documented repeatedly, the PA, PLO and Fatah have never given up terror as a tool to achieve political goals.
One additional note: Although he does not say it explicitly, when Shaath talks about liberating land he seems to be indicating that the new Palestinian state he seeks will replace all of Israel. He said: "They succeeded in expelling a large part of our people by force. Therefore, our right to the armed struggle is indisputable." According to the Palestinian narrative, the claim that Arabs were "expelled by force" is only is only used to refer to Israel's war of independence, 1948 - 1949.
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The following is a longer excerpt from the interview with Fatah official Nabil Shaath:
The following is a longer excerpt from the interview with Fatah official Nabil Shaath:
Fatah Commissioner of International Relations Nabil Shaath: "Our cause is just. Our right to the armed struggle is an indisputable right. The Israelis didn't come here through negotiations. They did not come at our request. They are usurpers who came with weapons to murder and tried to expel [us]. They succeeded in expelling a large part of our people by force. Therefore, our right to the armed struggle is indisputable... We are humane people. We want to liberate our homeland. After we liberate our homeland, we will have no problem with living in a democratic state in which Jews, Muslims and Christians live - in a Palestinian Arab democratic state... [As a Palestinian] - your cause is just. You are occupied. Your land was stolen. Your rights were taken. Therefore, I've never seen any problem with carrying out the armed struggle while diplomatic and political activity supporting your cause is being carried out."
[Fatah-run Awdah TV, The Story of a Photograph, Jan. 23, 2017]