Quds Day pivotal for Palestine liberation: Activist

Press TV has interviewed Hazem Salem, an activist and political commentator in Cairo, to discuss International Quds Day rallies across Iran and other countries.  

A rough transcription of the interview appears below.

Press TV: How do you feel about the importance of International Quds Day rallies?

Salem: Well, actually this has been coming in a very pivotal situation, in a very pivotal historical moment. This last Friday of Ramadan has been very symbolic for the Muslims all over the world, and al-Quds is a very important element in their struggle for freedom, independence, and the liberation of Palestine.

In the meanwhile, it is also very pivotal for the global atmosphere because all the people in the world who are against sectarianism, oppression, the apartheid policies of Israel, and the heavy hand of terrorism exercised by Israel against the resistance, are mobilized today for the same cause, and this is linking the whole world against the Western imperialism, against the Israeli aggression and against the occupation, which is still very vivid in Palestine.

Many nations have been liberated by resistance and the Palestinians will also be liberated by resistance and by the support of all those who support resistance, including Iran and others.

Press TV: As you said, this year it is even more relevant that these rallies are taking place. How do you feel and assess the situation currently as it stands when it comes to the Palestinian issue as far as peace or resistance goes?  

Salem: Well, actually there has been more games about peace played by France and others, and there has been the French initiative and more mobilization in order to legitimize the occupation by the consent of the Palestinian Authority and many Arab regimes that are more supportive to Israel than ever before and more acting against the resistance [than] ever before; and this is a very new finding especially in these last few years where everybody, including the neighboring Arab countries, is trying to put the Palestinians under pressure, and this is actually mobilizing more anger among the people of these countries who are not allowed to demonstrate for Palestine and express their solidarity with the Palestinians.

There has also been more pressure on Hamas and other resistance groups... to show consent to the Israelis and to accept whatever peanuts given by the West, but the resistance still continues, it still flourishes, and despite the harsh times that the resistance had for the last two years, it has been winning and achieving great victories. This massive mobilization today is another symbol of solidarity that shows Palestinians are not alone and the whole world stands with them despite all the regimes that want to stand against the liberation and the freedom of the people of Palestine.

Press TV: And you are sitting in the Egyptian capital Cairo, so I wonder what is the feeling there like when it comes to the Israel-Palestine issue and of course on this Quds Day?

Salem: Well, actually the public has got a totally different sentiment from the state and the state has proposed Western peace talks, the state supports Israel's harsh hand against the resistance. Egypt is still involved in the blockade against Gaza and demolishing the tunnels that feed Gaza, but the public is pro-Palestine and pro-al-Quds, especially in this month of Ramadan and especially as they see how the Palestinians are resisting and how they are trying to stand firmly against all the odds that are happening. This in itself is a very important symbol of the sentiment of the people of Egypt despite the fact that they are not allowed to demonstrate. Their anti-Israel sentiment is still there and growing as long as the Egyptians feel that Palestine is part of Egypt and the Arab and the Muslim world.

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