Abu Mazen interview - "use all means" to protect land
[Resent after Palestinian terrorists following [Nominee for PA PM]Abu
Mazen's views, murdered two Jews in Kiryat Arba]

Aaron Lerner Date: 3 March 2003

The following is IMRA's English translation of a translation into Hebrew
prepared by Palestine Media Watch of an excerpt from an interview of PLO
leader Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) that appears in today's internet edition of
the London based Asharq Al-Awsat www.asharqalawsat.com

Abu Mazen: We didn't talk about a break in the armed struggle. We talked
about a break in the militarization of the Intifada. Armed struggle requires
conditions and possibilities that are not here with us in Palestine. You
cannot compare what is happening in Palestine to what is happening in
Lebanon or Algeria. Therefore, military activity, in light of these
conditions, is not efficient. The situation is not such . . . after two and
a half years of struggle the outcome is that we are back to less than we
started with.

Question: And what if Israeli soldiers violate the holy Palestinian home?

Abu Mazen: It is our right to resist. The Intifada must continue and it is
the right of the Palestinian People to resist and use all possible means in
order to defends its presence and existence. I add and say that if the
Israelis come to your land in order to erect a settlement then it is your
right to defend what is yours.

Question: Including using arms?

Abu Mazen: All means and arms as long as they are coming to your home, as
this is the right to resist. The restriction applies only to "Shahada -
Seeking" [suicide] operations and going out to attack in Tel Aviv or
Jerusalem. There is no justification to go out [of the territories] to fight
the army.