Palestinian Media Watch Bulletin
September 1, 2005
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PA Political Conclusions to
the Israeli Withdrawal
By Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook

During the last few weeks, Israel has forcibly removed more than 9,000
Israelis from 25 Israeli towns and villages in Northern Samaria and the Gaza
Strip. From the Palestinian perspective, most significant is that this
unilateral withdrawal by Israel was brought on by the "victory" in the
"resistance" - the Palestinian Authority euphemism for terror.

Accordingly, the Palestinians have rarely used the Arabic equivalent of
Ariel Sharon's term, "disengagement," but rather, refer to Israel's actions
with various other words: insikhab, which means either "withdrawal" or
"retreat;" tard, meaning "expulsion;" or dakhr and indikhar, which mean both
"expulsion" and "defeat."

These expressions are used throughout Palestinian society. Not only are
there no meaningful differences among the PA, Hamas and Islamic Jihad
terminology but the groups seem to be competing to take credit for the
terror that caused Israel to retreat.

The political and social conclusions the PA and terrorist groups have drawn
from the unilateral withdrawal will have important ramifications for the
region's future. Some of these conclusions, which have been stressed
repeatedly in the months leading up to and during the evacuation, are:

Terror ("resistance") has proven itself the most effective tool to force
political concessions from Israel

Terror can work either independently or as part of a cycle with diplomacy:
"The gun sows and diplomacy reaps"

Palestinians see Israel retreating to the 1949 Armistice lines as the
complete and unconditional acceptance of PA demands, and as an historical
precedent that will be repeated in all other areas of dispute: the West
Bank, Jerusalem and refugees

Terror will be renewed if Israel does not leave the West Bank and Jerusalem
and accept PA demands on refugees. This is a uniform message across the
political spectrum

The following are representative examples from among these repeated
political messages and threats by PA political leaders and terrorist
leaders:

1. Terror ("resistance") has proven itself the most effective tool to force
political concessions from Israel

Palestinian Authority

"Secretary of Fatah in the Jenin district, Ata Abu Irmilah . is of the
opinion that the departure of the occupier is a day of great victory, which
was achieved by the Palestinian resistance and, in its lead, Fatah and
Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 13, 2005]

"This is a day for the people, so it can celebrate in honor of the sacrifice
of the shahids [martyrs for Allah]. The Israeli withdrawal was not an act of
charity but is the fruit of the strong stance of our people over the years."
[Muhammad Dahlan, PA Minister for Civil Affairs, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August
13, 2005]

"Israel cannot withstand the brave Palestinian resistance. This is the
beginning of the liberation, which was achieved by all factions of the brave
Palestinian resistance."
[Farouk Al-Qadoumi, Secretary of Fatah, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 22, 2005]

Islamic Jihad

"Dr. Muhammad Al-Hindi, a senior figure in Islamic Jihad, stressed . that
his movement sees in the retreat from Gaza a victory for the resistance,
[and] a victory for the men of the resistance"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 13, 2005]

Hamas

"To the brothers, the Jihad Fighters of Al-Qassam Brigades [terrorist wing
of Hamas], May Allah bless your jihad, your blood, you sweat, your
guardianship, and your suffering. Without this jihad and steadfastness, Gaza
wouldn't have been liberated.

"To the brothers in the [other] resistance organizations, I congratulate you
on this victory, and on the liberation of the Gaza Strip from the foulness
of Zionists. I bear witness that this victory was made with your resistance
[i.e. terror] and partnership with us, with our cooperation and coordination
together and joint operations..."
[Muhammad Daif, Commander of Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas website, August 27,
2005]

2. Terror works either independently or as part of a cycle with diplomacy:
"The gun sows and diplomacy reaps"

Palestinian Authority

"[Hani Al-Hasan, Member of Fatah Central Committee, said] 'The armed
struggle is sowing and the political struggle is reaping and he who does not
sow does not harvest. Yet,' he emphasized, 'the harvest should take place in
its [right] time. Everything in its [right] time. The current stage is the
stage of harvest. In this stage diplomacy comes before the gun and in the
time of the sowing the gun comes before diplomacy.'"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 22, 2005]

"Commander of the National Security Forces in the Northern District, Colonel
Sha'aban Abu Asr . explained that he called this operation [the deployment
of PA forces] by the name 'The Harvest' - it is the stage of gathering the
fruits [of victory]. He . prayed that Allah will have us succeed in our ways
so we will go toward the big harvest."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 22, 2005]

Hamas

"To our brothers in the Palestinian Authority, The liberation of Gaza is an
important lesson to all of us. A part of our homeland has been liberated
with the bounty of Allah first, and the strikes of the sincere jihad
fighters from the whole of the brave Palestinian people. Let us comprehend
this lesson, and keep the weapons of the resistance raised, along side the
political work."
[Muhammad Daif, Commander of Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas website, August 27,
2005]

3. Palestinians see Israel retreating to the 1949 Armistice lines as the
complete, unconditional acceptance of the PA demands, and as an historical
precedent that wil bel repeated in all other areas of dispute: the West
Bank, Jerusalem and refugees

Palestinian Authority

"President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that today our nation celebrates the
freeing of Gaza and the north of the [West] Bank and tomorrow will celebrate
the freeing of Jerusalem."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 13, 2005]

"Member of Legislative Council Abd Al-Fattah Hama'il . made a speech on
behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas. He discussed the withdrawal from Gaza and
said that it was a great achievement and a fruit of our struggle and that
Gaza was the beginning, because a journey of one thousand miles begins with
one step. Abu Al-Sukkar made a speech on behalf of the prisoners. He urged .
everyone to make [efforts] for their liberation and said that jihad was a
commandment that everyone is obliged to fulfill by himself."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 15, 2005]

"The fate of the Israeli settlements, including the settlement in East
Jerusalem, will match the fate of the settlements in the Gaza Strip."
[Dr. Sa'eb Erekat, Chief Palestinian negotiator, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August
22, 2005]

"I am optimistic, for I never dreamt that one settlement would be evacuated
in the time of Sharon. The evacuation of settlements by Sharon is an
historical precedent."
[Muhammad Dahlan, PA Minister for Civil Affairs, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August
15, 2005]

"The coordinator of the Mass Committee for Aid and Support in the east Khan
Yunis area, which belongs to Fatah, Ayman Al-Raqb . emphasized that the
efforts of Fatah should be united in order to turn the day of the Gaza Strip
and north West Bank evacuation into a Palestinian wedding, which reflects
the nobility of our Palestinian people, who sacrificed shahids, wounded and
prisoners so that it would attend this historic day. He expressed his hope
that this wedding would expand to rest of the cities and villages of
Palestine in the near future and that our masses would celebrate at the
gates of Jerusalem."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 13, 2005]

Hamas

"To our brethren in Jerusalem and the West Bank, I talk to you today certain
that Gaza is the beginning of the road ... and all our towns, villages and
camps in the West Bank are an omen that the next stage, with Allah's
support, will be defeating the occupation from your lands."
[Muhammad Daif, Hamas website, August 27, 2005

Islamic Jihad

"Islamic Jihad . emphasized that the withdrawal from Gaza is the first cycle
of the defeat of the occupation, [and] that after it would come [more]
cycles until the restitution of all Palestinian lands."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 13, 2005]

4. Terror will be renewed if Israel does not leave the West Bank and
Jerusalem and accept PA demands on refugees

"Our opinion is that this withdrawal - its benefit is in reaching the [West]
Bank and Jerusalem, in the completion of our sovereignty on our land;
terminals, air space and water [sources] and in that our daily life, will
continue fully and continuously between us and the [West] Bank, otherwise
the elements of explosion might be the strongest and the most tragic in the
long history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 13, 20055]

"Jenin, which gave tens of shahids that took part in the battle, raised the
weapons in the face of aggression and [thus] continued on their way towards
the glory while holding their weapons - in front of these, we emphasize,
that the process of liberation is continuing until the passing of the
occupation."
[PA Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 9, 2005]

"Let us retain the Gaza Strip as a base similar to North Vietnam and prepare
for the nearing, full liberation of the [West] Bank."
[Farouk Al-Qadoumi, Secretary of Fatach, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 22,
2005]

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