Fatah remembered to condemn Syria for hosting Hamas

This was a long time in coming. Among pro-Palestinians, only Robert Malley and Brent Scowcroft may remain as Syria fans.

 

Ami Isseroff

 

 

Fatah condemns Syria for hosting Hamas
Date: 25 / 11 / 2008  Time:  14:19
 

Ramallah – Ma'an – Fatah slammed Syria for allowing Hamas to attend a conference on Palestinian refugees' right of return on Tuesday.

 

"I don't understand how those mutineers are welcome in Damascus after they rebelled against Palestinian legitimacy," said Fatah spokesperson Ahmad Abd-Ar-Rahman referring to the Arab International Forum on the Right of Return.

 

"Palestinian decisions will remain in the hands of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) despite attempts to control it by masters of [Syria-based Hamas leader] Khalid Mash'al. They will not succeed in their attempts to lift Hamas from the lowest level it fell to in the Gaza Strip," Abd-ar-Rahman added.

 

Mash'al, the director of Hamas' political bureau, has his offices in Damascus.

 

Abd-Ar-Rahman described Syria's actions as 'rudely intervening' and stated that circumventing 'Palestinian legitimacy' must come to an end.

 

In response to a question about Hamas banning the Fatah movement in Gaza and persecuting its members, he said, "Fatah will remain until the Palestinian dream of statehood with Jerusalem as its capital, comes true."

 

He said Fatah has succeeded in rescuing the Palestinian people from "inprisonment, dependence and containment," countering occupation as well as establishing the first Palestinian National Authority in history, he explained. Thus, he added, "conspiracies will never exterminate it."

 

In response to Khalid Mash'al's accusation that Fatah has abandoned armed struggle against Israel, Abd-Ar-Rahman asked, "Where is the rifle which represents such awareness?"

 

"Hamas staged a coup in the Gaza Strip upon receiving directives from the outside and funding from black gold [oil from the Gulf States]. Their goal was a cheap one of continuing intervention in internal Palestinian affairs by Arab and regional players," he stated.