7 January 2001

In the name of Allah the most gracious the most Merciful

Press Release
On the security coordination meeting Between the PA and the Zionist enemy in Cairo

Commenting on the security coordination meeting between security officials in the Palestinian Authority, the Zionist enemy and the American central intelligence agency that is held today in Cairo, a responsible source in the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, said:

The Zionist aggression is continuing against our people along with the daily killing and cold-blooded assassinations of our men and women in addition to besieging and dismembering cities, villages and camps and starving our people and children. Terrorist Barak is renewing his refusal to surrender sovereignty over Al-Quds and the Haram Al-Sharif and his absolute rejection of the return of our people’s refugees to their lands and country. At such a time, chairman of the Palestinian Authority agrees on holding such a serious meeting in submission to the Zionist enemy and the American administration’s dictates. The Zionists had set the condition that the meeting should tackle the mean theme of ending what they call violence (i.e. the intifada) and fighting terrorism (i.e. resistance). This is the required sinful security price that the Palestinians must pay in preparation for continuing the absurd negotiations on Clinton’s proposals that aim at liquidating our cause.

This dubious meeting has a clear goal namely to abort and end our people’s intifada … the holy Aqsa intifada, in addition to persecuting and liquidating our people’s Mujahideen to complement the role of the enemy’s army and special units.

We denounce the PA’s submission and approval to name our people’s intifada as “acts of violence” and dealing with it on equal footing with Zionist terrorism and aggression. We condemn the PA’s pledge in Washington to work for ending the intifada and repelling its heroes and resistance heroes and to accept to attend such a dubious meeting in service of occupation and to realize its security at the expense of our people’s security and rights.

The resumption of security cooperation with the Zionist enemy and the American intelligence and under its patronage poses as a treacherous stab in the back of our people and the holy Aqsa intifada. Furthermore, it scorns the blood of more than 370 martyrs and 20,000 wounded who fell and still fall in the intifada for the sake of expelling occupation, purging the Aqsa and achieving our people’s goals not for the sake of returning to the negotiations and the criminal security cooperation with the enemy. It also deals the cruelest blow to national unity that grouped our people around the intifada and struggle option and poses as a return to a joint security march with the enemy that lead to the death or detention of the cream of our people and Mujahideen.

We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, regret that Cairo is the venue that hosts and patronizes such a meeting. Egypt had always been the supporter of our cause and its people had taken to the streets out of anger and condemnation over what the Aqsa and the people of Palestine were suffering at the hands of the Zionist aggression. Our people always appreciated Egypt. How come it would then host such dubious meetings that harm its image and role? Especially when it knows that our people reject and condemn such meetings because they are directed against them!

We affirm to the whole world that the feverish attempts and efforts will end up in failure, God willing, and will not be able to deter our people from persisting in their Jihad, resistance, intifada and confrontation of the Zionist enemy, its war machine and herds of settlers. Our people will never deviate from resistance in its capacity as the road leading to liberation and restoration of rights.

The Islamic Resistance Movement
(Hamas – Palestine)
7 January 2001