23 July 2000

In the name of Allah the most Gracious the most Merciful

“Glory to (Allah) Who did take His prophet for a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose precincts We did bless.”

Urgent statement by Hamas
Palestine and Al-Quds (Jerusalem) are the sole property of the Nation; No one has the right to surrender
The Zionist enemy only understands the language of force

The negotiations and bargains on the rights of our people and their sanctities are continuing in Camp David between the Palestinian Authority and the Zionist entity. The American president Bill Clinton insists on retaining each of Arafat and Barak to continue pressures on the Palestinian party so as to offer more concessions and surrender our people’s rights and holy shrines for the sake of attaining an agreement coronating his period in office that is about to terminate.

The negotiations are currently focusing on a number of American proposals over major issues of the final settlement basically emanating from the notorious (Abu Mazen-Beilen) doctrine. The proposals stipulate that the PA would give up Al-Quds to remain under sovereignty of the usurping Zionist entity in return for an administrative self-rule in the old quarters of the city and surrounding suburbs. They further stipulate annexing the settlements of Ma’aleh Adomim and Giva’at Ze’ef to Al-Quds and allowing the Palestinians a safe passage to the Aqsa Mosque, which would be under religious administration only.

In a bid to beautify the agreement, a Palestinian state with separated areas and pruned sovereignty, the borders and authorities of which would be determined by the Zionist enemy, would be declared. It would have no army while the enemy would have the right of using its air space and deploying its army in the Jordan Valley. Meanwhile the West Bank would be linked to the Gaza Strip via a flyover bridge.

As for the Zionist settlements, most of them would remain in their places and annexed to the occupation entity in return for exchanging certain areas. The Zionists would enjoy freedom of movement in the vicinity of those settlements that spread like cancer in all of our occupied lands.

The refugees’ right of return to their lands would be dropped and efforts would be made to re-settle them in their diaspora. They would be bribed with sums of money as the occupation entity pledged to accommodate a few number of them within family re-union programs. Only half a million refugees would be accommodated gradually in the Palestinian mini-state over a period of 20 years!

Our Palestinian people … Our Arab and Islamic Nation

This is the perilous deal that is being negotiated, a mutilated Palestinian state with no sovereignty, will or dignity. It is in fact a self-rule entity linked to the Zionist regime. A deal that stipulates selling Al-Quds and the holy shrines topped by the Aqsa Mosque in return for running municipal services, health and sewerage along with forsaking the refugees’ right of return to their lands leaving them for ever in camps of the diaspora.

What is going on in Camp David is a Zionist-American plot against our people, rights, lands, sanctities and Arab and Islamic dignity.

Al-Quds and Palestine are blessed holy lands and are part and parcel of the Muslims’ religion and creed. They host the Aqsa Mosque the Muslims’ first Qibla and the site of prophet Mohammed’s Isra’ (night journey) and the third mosque that Muslim should visit as the prophet, peace be upon him, had said. Muslims across the centuries and generations had colored that blessed soil with their blood to retain it in Muslims’ hands.

Any surrendering of Al-Quds or part of it is a surrender of the Arab and Islamic Nation’s religion and pride and is a flagrant aggression on our creed and sanctities.

No one could or own the right of giving up Al-Quds. Whoever attempts to do so is reneging on our people and Nation’s will, a servant to our enemy, an aggressor on our religion and creed. He would not bind us, our people, Arab and Islamic Nation with a thing and he thus represents only himself.

Our Palestinian people … our Arab and Islamic Nation

We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), call for the following:

First: We demand Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to immediately withdraw from the farcical Camp David’s conspiracy and return instead to the lines of our people in their steadfastness and resistance of the Zionist enemy and its schemes.

Second: We urge our steadfast, Mujahid Palestinian people to reflect their anger regarding the cheap bargaining in Camp David over our people, lands, sanctities and rights with all possible means.

Third: We appeal to our Arab and Islamic peoples, parties, Movements, groups, authorities, syndicates, unions and popular forces to reject any concession or capitulation in the land of Palestine, Al-Quds and the Aqsa Mosque. We also invite them to express their stands and raise up high their voices to contribute in foiling the conspiracy targeting Palestine and Al-Quds. It is a compulsory duty on each and every Muslim all over the world.

Fourth: We ask leaders of the Arab and Islamic Nation along with the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference to confront any concession or surrendering of Palestine or Al-Quds and to pressure the PA to prevent it from responding and submitting to Zionist and American pressures.

We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), along with our Palestinian people and our Arab and Islamic Nation will continue to hold fast to our right in our land, Quds and Sanctities. We will continue our steadfastness and struggle and mobilizing our Nation in confrontation of the Zionist occupation and arrogance. We will grab our rights, lands and holy shrines with our own hands by the grace and help of Allah regardless of the lapse of time for the Zionist enemy does not understand the language of begging and submission, which only increase its aggressiveness and arrogance. It only understand the language of Jihad, resistance and martyrdom, that was the language that led to its blatant defeat in South Lebanon and it will be the language that will defeat it on the land of Palestine. We are confident in Allah’s promise of victory.

Allahu Akbar and the aggression is only against the oppressors

Allahu Akbar and victory for our people and Nation  

The Islamic Resistance Movement
(Hamas – Palestine)
Sunday 23 July 2000