IMEMC Exclusive: Fatah Alyasser's chief says his group is a reform-based

Saturday September 15, 2007 23:06 by Rami Almeghari - Rami Almeghari-IMEMC Execlusive

In a special interview with the IMEMC, former spokesman of the Hamas?s interior ministry and leader of the newly-established Fatah Alyasser group, Khaled Abu Helal, says his movement has been established to contribute to better reformation of Palestinian politics following the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip

Fatah Alyasser leader, Khaled Abu Helal/ photo by IMEMC's Iyad Albaba

What is Fatah Alyasser group Mr. Abu Helal?
Fatah Alyasser is a newly-born Palestinian group initiated by Fatah?s loyal people, after the latter have realized the fact that reforming the current Fatah has turned to be an impossible job, especially amidst the monopoly by some Fatah?s corrupt ranks of the decision-making.

Can the Palestinian arena currently absorb more groups, in a time there are many other based Palestinian organizations such as the Islamic Jihad, the popular front for the liberation of Palestine, etc..?

I believe that the political pluralism in Palestine has turned to be limited, particularly after the last January?s elections, which proved that there are only two major parties, Fatah and Hamas.

Fatah Alyasser movement is a group that combines between Islam as reference and the late President Yasser Arafat?s path of struggle at all levels, the political, the national and the resistance.

The Islamist governing Hamas has been going under an international embargo until the group recognizes Israel, renounces violence and accepts past signed agreements, the late President Yasser Arafat had signed with Israel. How do you comment?

I believe that Hamas is paying the price for its nationalism and credibility, in a time others chose alliances with the occupation against the interests of the people. We in the Fatah Alyasser movement don?t see any difference between Hamas and Fatah, what we observe is that some ranks within Fatah have been controlling Fatah in the framework of their alliances with either Israel or the United States.

Following the Hamas takeover of Gaza in June, we realized that Fatah has derailed from the path, which the late Fatah historic leader, Yasser Arafat, has drawn. Therefore, we have decided to keep up on Arafat?s path.

Arafat has embraced peace as a strategic choice for solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and right now, his successor President Mahmoud Abbas, is adopting the same choice. What new your movement has brought to the Palestinian arena?

We believe that Abbas has been imposed on late President Yasser Arafat, after Arafat had backed the aL-Aqsa Intifada, as Israel wanted a new Palestinian leadership that enjoys some personal privileges in order to implement certain agendas.

We don?t see any contradiction between liberating the Palestinian land by both means of resistance and negotiations, yet our first priority is resistance.

Do you receive any support from the Hamas-dominated government?

What I can say is that we maintain very good contacts with the Hamas-dominated government and that we are determined to promote the reformists within the Fatah movement, in a way that gives top priority to the higher national interests of the Palestinian people.

gaza strip | palestinian politics | interview rami at imemc dot org