Haniyya: â€œAny agreement that excludes Jerusalem will be voidedâ€

Friday August 22, 2008 05:11

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Ismail Haniyya, one of the prominent Hamas political leaders in Gaza, and the Prime Minister of the dissolved government, stated on Thursday that the Palestinians will not accept any peace deal that excludes Jerusalem.

Ismail Haniyya

He added that his government and the Palestinian people reject the “Shelf Agreement” which was presented by the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, and excludes Jerusalem and the Right of Return.

Haniyya also said that the Palestinians, and their upcoming generations, will never abandon their rights to liberate Jerusalem.

The Hamas leader stated that the siege on the Gaza Strip will never force the Palestinians to abandon their legitimate rights, and that the Palestinian people will always defend Jerusalem and its historic and Muslim sites.

“Liberating Jerusalem will be achieved by resistance, by sacrifice and not by negotiations, meetings, hugging and kidding the enemy”, Haniyya said, “Liberating Jerusalem is inevitable, and the Palestinian generations will always carry the flame of resistance, and only the Jihad is capable of achieving this aspiration”.

He added that Israel wants to destroy the Al Aqsa mosque, and that it is the responsibility of every Arab and Muslim to defend it.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ahmad Bahar, the acting head of the Palestinian Legislative Council, slammed on Thursday what he described as the Arabic and Islamic dreadful silence while Israel continue to attack the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the Arabic sites in the city.

He added that Palestine is not only for the Palestinians, but also the Arab and Muslim nations must defend Palestine and its holy sites.

Bahar also said that the Legislative Council issued a new ruling forbidding giving up Jerusalem in any peace talks with Israel.

Also, Taleb Abu Sha’ar the Minister of Waqf and Religious Affairs, announced the launch of a popular campaign which comes as the Palestinians are marking the 39th anniversary of burning the Al Aqsa mosque by Israeli extremists.

The campaign includes collecting 7 million signatures on a document which is considered a vow for Jerusalem as part of the Arab and Islamic faith. It also affirms the Palestinian right to have Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state without any concessions on the holy city.