Palestinians must stand against Israel with all means: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Hani al-Basoos, a professor at the Islamic University of Gaza, from Washington to get his take on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ remarks over popular resistance against Israeli occupation.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: How likely will Israel give in to Abbas’s conditions?

Al-Basoos: I don’t think that the Israelis will give in to Abbas’ conditions. We understand the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition government are extremists who do not believe in peace, they do not believe in establishing a Palestinian state. And he made it clear in a statement in his campaign for the election that no Palestinian state would be established. So, I don’t think that such an extremist person will give in to Mr. Mahmoud Abbas and to the Palestinians.

This is what led Abu-Mazen, Mahmoud Abbas, to make his statement saying that the possibility for the Palestinian people is to struggle against the Israeli occupation. Because, we today commemorate the 67th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, which is continuous, where the Israeli army and Jewish forces in Palestine 67 years ago expelled most of the Palestinian people.

The situation is continuous in Gaza and the West Bank and even in Jerusalem [al-Quds]. I think even the stand which has been taken by the Israeli government for past few year, which is sustained now by the Israeli government, would not give any chance for the peace process to come back again to life. I think the chance for the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people is to stand against the occupation.

There are many means and methods could be used by the Palestinian Authority like going to the UN. And the UN, we understand the fact, the UN has not even been able to make a stand with the Palestinian Authority to satisfy the needs of the people of Palestinian. When it comes even to the United States, which has not been able to even make any pressure on Israeli side, I think, the only one of the means for the Palestinian people is to stand against the Israeli occupation by all means they have. That is what we have been witnessed for the past few days that Palestinian factions and the Palestinian Authority ... calling for an end to the Israeli occupation.

Press TV: We know that Palestine is a member of ICC now, but how powerful a leverage is Palestine’s membership at the ICC to use it against Israel to give in to Palestine’s demands and end settlement construction and so on?

Al-Basoos: I think this is one of the options of the Palestinian people going to the ICC but this should be taken ahead by the Palestinian Authority, which I think still Mr. Mahmoud Abbas is hesitant to take a step toward the ICC, because he thinks the reaction would be so harsh from the Israeli side and from the United States’ administration, because they might stop the money going to the Palestinian Authority, they would limit freedom of movement of Palestinian leaders and elites.

I think this is an option and could be taken now soon by the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority to go to the ICC to prosecute the Israeli war criminals. There is no fear on the Palestinian side, because some were saying that maybe this would cause even harm to the Palestinians because they have been involved in action against the Israeli civilians but this is not the case, this is not the fact.

The fact we have seen for the past years, the occupation forces have launched many attacks against Palestinian civilians. We witnessed this in summer last year when I was in Gaza devastating, destruction action by the Israeli army have been taken that, I think it is a clear evidence which could be taken to the ICC. And the Palestinian Authority can take an action and should not be late. I think the action has to be taken soon.

Press TV: We know that Pop Francis recently recognized Palestine as a state, how much could this help?

Al-Basoos: This would help them but not on the political level. We understand the fact that many states and the European community and lately the Vatican have recognized Palestine as state, but we need actions, we need to stop the occupation.

The state they have been talking about is [based] on the 1967 border and this has been under the Israeli occupation for many years. I think the European community, the international community has to take action against the occupation to stop the occupation to dismantle the settlements and not only to recognize Palestine.

Palestine exists by all means, by its own people and by its own authorities. The Palestinian people have been doing their best to preserve the rights for them to have their own state. So, action has to be taken by the international community from a legal point of view and from a political point of view.

Even if the United States is not with this stand, I think the situation would change and it is maybe a year or two where the international community including the United States has to accept the fact Palestine is a state and has to be established by all means.

And I think, this acknowledgement and the recognitions by some states and the European community and lately by the Vatican would help to sustain and to support the Palestinian demand that the international community have to come or have come to understand the fact that the people of Palestine have to establish their state based on the United Nations resolutions and based on their basic rights. This would help again step by step by the international community. They come to term that Palestine has to exist by all means legally and politically.

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