PALESTINIAN Prime Minister Ismail Haniya spoke at a rally organised by the Hamas Movement at Al-Yarmuk playground in Gaza on 6 October ‘in support of the Palestinian government.’
Hamas declared that the rally was attended by 500,000 people.
Haniya says: ‘We address you today against the background of the unjust and immoral embargo that was imposed with the collusion of many foreign and domestic quarters to subdue the people and prevent our project from succeeding.
‘Yes, we address you against the background of this unjust and immoral embargo that is led by the US Administration against the Palestinian people and the Palestinian government to force this people, this government, to give in and to blackmail us politically.
‘We would like to say from the Al-Yarmuk playground and let all the world stand witness to what we say, that the bastions will not collapse, and the fortresses will not be penetrated, and they will not make us change stands, God willing.’
Haniya continued to say: ‘We did not come to power on tanks, or drop down on our people from the sky with parachutes, or assumed power as a result of US-Israeli alliances.
‘We came to power through the people’s will.’
Haniya continued: ‘There have been many attempts on the domestic and foreign level to overthrow democracy, Palestinian legitimacy, not to respect the Palestinian people’s willpower, and to topple the Palestinian government.
‘On the foreign level, we experienced an economic and financial embargo, the like of which the Palestinian people have never witnessed’ adding that ‘the US Administration threatened countries, financial institutions, regional institutions, and banks. Unfortunately, many forces here and abroad colluded with it thus paralysing all economic and trade activities.’
He added: ‘Brothers, you notice that whenever the Quartet or other bodies meet or when the UN Security Council meets, the US secretary of state or a EU spokesman rises to incite against this government, to say that it is the cause of the ordeal, the embargo, and that it is responsible for the difficult humanitarian state of affairs that the Palestinian people experience.
‘They forgot the occupation, the aggression, the repression, the assassinations, the bulldozing of lands, killings, destruction, the separation wall, the settlements, the judaization of Jerusalem, and the annexation of the Al-Ghawr.
‘They forgot everything and focused their incitement in the media against the Palestinian government only.
‘Unfortunately, many Palestinian leaders participate in this incitement campaign against this government.’
Haniya continued: ‘The Palestinian arena nearly collapsed because we were faced with two options.
Either we accept the prisoners’ document or a new referendum will be held.
‘We experienced difficult circumstances in our Palestinian arena and overcame this stage through the agreement on the national accord document’ adding that the third stage, ‘the one we are currently experiencing consists of strikes, protests, frozen activities and ministries, staging marches and attacking institutions and the prime ministry, kidnapping deputies and shooting escorts, and having many young men working in the security agencies go out to the streets, block the roads, shoot at people and stage rallies whose objective is one form of rebellion against this government’ adding ‘I am not saying that all the security agencies participated. I am saying that only some elements who are manipulated by some leaders participated.’
Haniya then fainted but resumed his speech after seven minutes to describe how Hamas had sought to break the embargo.
‘We moved in all directions, and our brother Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmud al-Zahhar visited many Arab, Islamic, and Asian countries. We managed, thanks to God, to break this political embargo. We managed to boost relations with our Arab and Islamic countries, and with their rulers and people. We also managed to reach Asian, African, and European countries.
‘Many brother ministers paid several visits. On the financial level, we managed, thanks be to God, to collect a lot of money. The nation supported us. The scholars supported us. . .
‘Brothers and sisters, we collected a lot of money, thanks be to God. But unfortunately the barriers and obstructions that were put in place prevented the transfer of these funds to the Palestinian territories.
‘Brothers, this means that we did not capitulate on the foreign level in the face of this policy and this embargo. Our ministers even visited European Union countries, met with officials of many EU countries, deputies, diplomats to defend and explain the dimensions of the Palestinian cause and enhance its status worldwide.’
Haniya then explained what the government had done on the domestic level to tackle the situation by adopting a firm policy based on the following steps.
‘First, we abided by constants and rights and we did not lose direction and preserved our pledge to the martyrs. . . Second, we preserved national unity.
‘The government sponsored intra-Palestinian dialogue sessions over the past months and continued to do so even in the midst of the problems and disagreements that preoccupied the Palestinian arena. . .
The government contributed to reaching a Palestinian agreement on the national accord document. We did not pay attention to the attacks, slander, insults, and stabs in the back, but we exercised the patience of someone who assumes responsibility for a people and a cause.’
Haniya added: ‘We dealt with the strike that is taking place with responsibility. Brothers, there is an embargo on our Palestinian people and on our government. I would like to tell you that this embargo seeks to subdue the people and the government’ adding that ‘though the embargo was still being clamped, many sons of our people staged open strikes and successive protest marches over the past 40 days. They obstructed the work of the various ministries. Yes, we admit that we were patient and stood firm as people.
‘But I would like to tell you brothers that the strikes and protests that are taking place now are being exploited for other purposes, for a political purpose. In spite of this, this government acted with a high sense of responsibility and was not dragged into taking any stands that will harm the Palestinian people’s image.
‘We said that we support our people, support the demands of the besieged, and those who are on strike but for the strike to be open ended is something that does not exist in any country in the world.
Nowhere in this world have there been strikes with the threat to use weapons. . .
‘All this does not serve the Palestinian people in any way whatsoever. We respected public freedoms and human rights. Brothers, we did not arrest any Palestinian and we will not arrest Palestinians for their political affiliation or ideology.’
Haniya continued: ‘I am proud to say that as prime minister of the Palestinian people, I still live in Al-Shati refugee camp.’
Haniya added: ‘The United States, Israel, and others are exerting pressure to prevent the formation of the national unity government because they want a Palestinian government tailored in accordance with US and Israeli standards.
‘They want any Palestinian government to implement foreign dictates and the so-called demands of the Quartet.
‘This is why many in the Palestinian arena are now going back on the formation of a national unity government. We have most probably heard the president say that we have gone back to square one and that the dialogue on the national unity government is frozen. New scenarios are being submitted.
Many speak about an emergency government.
‘Others speak about a government of technocrats while some quarters speak about early elections.
‘Brothers, all this seeks to achieve one thing. It seeks to remove the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas from the government. They want a government in accordance with specific measures that will implement foreign conditions and dictates. . .
‘Therefore, let our stand be clear. We support the formation of a national unity government on the basis of the national accord document and I am ready to do all that can be done to render the dialogue a success, especially since the agreement with the president was to pursue the dialogue to achieve this aspired national goal.
‘Second, the Palestinian people’s willpower and their democratic option must be respected and the changes that the arena has witnessed must be taken into consideration.
‘Third, we reject outside interference in the Palestinian people’s domestic affairs. We also reject foreign dictates, whether they are from the Quartet or any other side.
‘Fourth, the Palestinian cause for our people is not just a cause that has to do with livelihood. It is a political and national issue. From this premise, we affirm our firm rejection to recognise the legitimacy of the occupation and relinquish any inch of our land, rights, the right to repatriation, and the right to establish an independent and fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
‘Fifth, the dialogue on the formation of a national unity government should be immediately coupled by moves to rebuild the PLO.’
Haniya concluded by calling for a comprehensive national reconciliation and stressed that his government will go to any length to achieve such reconciliation.
He also called for an immediate meeting between Fatah and Hamas to bridge the gaps and mend relations. He closed his speech by repeating three times to cheers ‘We will never recognise Israel.’
