Saraya aL-Quds spokesperson to IMEMC: resistance is our strategic choice

Thursday November 29, 2007 14:07 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC Execlusive

The Gaza-based spokesperson for the Saraya aL-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, Abu Dajjana, told IMEMC in an exclusive interview on the eve of the Annapolis peace summit, that resisting the Israeli occupation is the Saraya's strategic choice.

Saraya aL-Quds resistance fighters/ archive photo

Abu Dajjana does not believe that the underway peace talks in Washington will bring any peace to the Palestinian people; rather they are a part of a conspiracy against the Palestinian people over the past number of years.

 For instance, according to Abu Dajjana, when late President Yasser Arafat, refused to comply with the Israelis' demands seven years ago, they eventually sidelined and killed him.

 The Israelis and the Americans can never be entrusted, thus our only choice ' remains resisting the occupation, with whatever means we have at our disposal', he added.

 Asked whether the Saraya aL-Quds's resistance will be widespread in the upcoming period, Abu Dajjana, said that the resistance against the Israeli occupation knows no boundaries. "As long as the Israeli occupation leaves our people a victim to killings, siege and closure, Israelis, wherever they are, can never enjoy safety".

"Our resistance will continue until our legitimate rights are regained completely. On top of these rights are the Palestinian Islamic sovereignty over the holy city of Jerusalem and the return to historical Palestine", he continued.

 Abu Dajjana views the recent Gaza rallies, in protest to the Annapolis summit, as evidence of the Palestinian national-Islamic consensus on the Palestinians inalienable rights.

" You noticed that today's rally is jointly staged by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad , which means we remain united behind one objective 'Palestine'. Islamists never become at odds", Abu Dajjana commented on recent internal violence in Gaza, in which an Islamic Jihad member was killed by the Hamas-led police forces.

 The Saray aL-Quds' spokesperson responded to previous accusations against his group that recently some Fatah members have been active amongst its ranks. "We choose our members very carefully, so we can guarantee disciplined fighters amongst our ranks. Our guns are pointed at one target ' the Israeli occupation'", he revealed. Abu Dajjana confirmed, "We have held accountable all those who were involved in the recent internal violence".

 Abu Dajjana's statement comes after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, agreed during the Annapolis peace summit to restart stalled peace talks on core issues, such as the problem of Palestinian refuges, the Israeli occupation of east Jerusalem and the borders of a Palestinian state.

Such peace efforts are coinciding with more Israeli settlement building on the West Bank lands, a separation barrier between West Bank cities as well as a crippling Israeli closure of the Gaza Strip.

 Washington, which hosts the talks, failed in 2000 to bring about Palestinian-Israeli peace, after Israel refused to recognize the Palestinian people's right to return to historical Palestine and give Palestinians back occupied east Jerusalem, which Israel took over in 1967. Israel has recently demanded that Palestinians should recognize it as ' Jewish state', which would mean dropping the Palestinian right to return and further complicating potential solutions for the issues of Jerusalem and borders. .

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