Clarifying "River to the Sea"

From the Arabic:

Meshaal to CNN: Palestine land from the sea to the river Saturday, 22 December 2012

DUBAI (Reuters) - Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas's political bureau, denied to CNN that his movement was behind the bombing of a bus in Tel Aviv on Wednesday...

"The Israeli side is responsible for the escalation in Gaza and we are not targeting civilians," Meshaal said in an interview with Christian Amanpour, CNN reported that Israel is responsible for the recent escalation in the Gaza Strip after it carried out incursions and assassinations of the military wing of the movement. I do not like shedding any point of blood. "

When asked about the extent to which the movement considers its right to kill civilians in Israel, Meshaal said: "The resistance is not targeting civilians. We must return to the root of the issue. The Palestinian people lived in peace before the Israelis occupied their land. In accordance with international law, Israel has an advanced army and has committed many massacres from Deir Yassin to Sabra and Shatila."

"We are defending our people and we are responding. I am the Hamas leader. I say on CNN that we are ready to conduct peaceful means without shedding blood or using weapons if we get our Palestinian national demands of ending occupation, establishing a state and meeting all other national goals," he said...

Asked about the movement's earlier decision not to recognize Israel and the possibility of returning later, Meshaal said the recognition should come from "the party that launches the attacks and has a military arsenal, not the victim."

He explained his point of view by saying: "We have only two paths. Either there is an international will from America, Europe and the international community that will push Israel to the path of peace and the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with the right of return. We continue to resist, I accept a state on the 1967 borders, but how can I accept Israel as a land occupant? I need recognition, not Israel. "

Meshaal stressed that his movement will not back down on the issue of the "right of return" for the Palestinians, saying: "Why is the international community silent about laws that allow the return of the Israelis and silence about it?"

"I want to establish a state for the Palestinians. After that, this state will decide its position on Israel. This question can not be addressed to me (recognizing Israel). I am in prison and under Israeli pressure," he said.

Meshaal said: "Palestine from the sea to the river and from the north to the south is my land and the land of my fathers and my grandfathers...

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And also the PLO

Faysal Al-Husseini in his Last Interview: The Oslo Accords Were a Trojan Horse; The Strategic Goal is the Liberation of Palestine from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea'

Q: "What are the borders of the Palestinian state you are referring to, and what kind of 'Jerusalem' would you accept as the capital of your state?"

A: "With this question you are dragging me into talking about what we refer to as our "strategic" goals and our "political" goals, or the phased goals. The "strategic" goals are the "higher goals," the "long-term goals," or the "unwavering goals," the goals that are based on solid Pan-Arab historic rights and principles. Whereas the "political" goals are those goals which were set for a temporary timeframe, considering the [constraints of] the existing international system, the balance of power, our own abilities, and other considerations which "vary" from time to time."

"When we are asking all the Palestinian forces and factions to look at the Oslo Agreement and at other agreements as "temporary" procedures, or phased goals, this means that we are ambushing the Israelis and cheating them. However, the truth is that we are doing exactly what they are doing. The proof for that is that they are aware of, and are not trying to hide, the fact that there is nothing that unites them more around the territory which extends from the Nile to the Euphrates, than their slogan, which was taken from the Torah, and reads: 'These are the borders of the greater land of Israel.'"

"If, for some reason, they had to temporarily declare their state over "a part" of the greater land of Israel, they would publicly declare that this is their "political" strategy, which they will have to temporarily accept due to international circumstances. On the other hand, their "higher strategy" is always "The Greater Land of Israel."

"We are [acting] exactly like them. In 1947, in accordance with [the UN] Partition Plan, they decided to declare statehood on 55% of the land of Palestine, which they later increased to 78% during the War of 1948, and then again [increased it] to 100% during the War of 1967. Despite all that, they never attempted to make secret of their long-term goal, which is "Greater Israel" from the Nile to the Euphrates. Similarly, if we agree to declare our state over what is now only 22% of Palestine, meaning the West Bank and Gaza – our ultimate goal is [still] the liberation of all historical Palestine from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea, even if this means that the conflict will last for another thousand years or for many generations."

"In short, we are exactly like they are. We distinguish the strategic, long-term goals from the political phased goals, which we are compelled to temporarily accept due to international pressure. If you are asking me as a Pan-Arab nationalist what are the Palestinian borders according to the higher strategy, I will immediately reply: "From the river to the sea." Palestine in its entirety is an Arab land, the land of the Arab nation, a land no one can sell or buy, and it is impossible to remain silent while someone is stealing it, even if this requires time and even [if it means paying] a high price."

"If you are asking me, as a man who belongs to the Islamic faith, my answer is also "From the river to the sea," the entire land is an Islamic Waqf which can not be bought or sold, and it is impossible to remain silent while someone is stealing it …"

"If you are asking me as an ordinary Palestinian, from the "inside" or from the Diaspora, you will get the same answer and without any hesitations. However, what I am able to achieve and live on right now, due to [constraints of] the international system, is not, of course, Palestine "From the river to the sea." In order for us to fulfill all of our dreams regarding Palestine, we must, first of all, wake up and realize where we are standing. On the other hand, if we will continue to behave as if we are still dreaming, we will not find a place to put our feet on..."

"As I once said in the past: our eyes must continue to focus on the higher goal. The real danger is that I might forget [it], and while advancing towards my short-term goal I might turn my back on my long-term goal, which is the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea…"

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UPDATE

See this

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