Just So That This is Clear

Here's Dr Mahmoud al-Zahar's interview (well excerpts) with The London Times on the eve of the elections:

On giving up Hamas's weapons:

"Why, why do we have to give up our weapons? If Israel comes back to occupy our land, will your country come to defend our people?

"Why do we have to put up our guns while every country everywhere has in additional to a political system a strong military system in order to protect their homeland, their interests and their people.

So why do you consider us a unique phenomenon that we have to keep the Israeli border, to keep the Israeli aggression against our people, to keep our people inside Israeli jails without resistance?"

On negotiations with Israel:

"Negotiation is not a goal in itself. It is a method. It is not an objective.

"If Israel has anything to offer on the issues of halting attacks, withdrawal, releasing prisoners...then one thousand means can be found."


On Europe:

"Believe me the European people came to me in the last month and they said within six months we are going to do our best in order to change the attitudes of our administration because we do not accept Hamas is a terrorist organisation, we differentiate between a liberation movement and a terrorist organisation. And believe me sooner or later the European countries in particular are going to change their mind concerning their attitude with Hamas.

"We are not using guns to choose our representatives. We are not using guns in the primaries. We use knives. (Joking.)

Have you moved from being the IRA to being Sinn Fein?

(Laughs. No answer.)