Fatah official on Hamas disarmament: “As long as there is an occupation, it is forbidden to cancel any of the expressions of the resistance... It is necessary to keep the weapons... and honor them only when it will be worthwhile for us”
Headline: “Abbas Zaki: We firmly refuse any solution that does not do justice to our people, and no one can force us to agree to this”
“The Al-Quds monthly (i.e., the magazine of Fatah’s Information and Culture Commission in Lebanon) conducted an interview with Fatah Movement Central Committee member [and Fatah Commissioner for Arab and China Relations] Abbas Zaki…
[Question:] Have you discussed the matter of Hamas’ weapons?
[Abbas Zaki:] Our viewpoint is that as long as there is an occupation, it is forbidden to cancel any of the expressions of the resistance, and one is welcome to use clean weapons against the enemy. However, it is forbidden that this use of weapons be subordinate to a faction or the caprice of a group, but rather [it should be subordinate] to a national decision. When we hold elections, we will choose a leadership and reactivate the institutions, [and] everything will be in the hands of the supreme leadership; but currently we are still in a situation of division. It is necessary to say here that regarding the public discussion about the weapons - if we say that it is necessary to disarm it is as if we are condemning the history of our struggle. We in the Fatah Movement laid the foundations of the culture of resistance, and if not for us, no one would be carrying weapons. Therefore, the talk about weapons needs to be conducted respectfully and with caution, as the weapons are a security balance, and the circumstances do not allow using them currently because we are part of a defeated nation and armies that are fighting each other. It is necessary to keep the weapons, develop them, and honor them (sic., apparently intent is “use them”) only when it will be worthwhile for us and harmful for the enemy. Based on this, the option of popular resistance is what is on the agenda, but it is necessary to find a specific definition for the popular resistance so that in the end it will lead to civil disobedience and in it all of the means will be used in order to disprove the democracy of ‘Israel’ and expose it as an apartheid entity.”
“The Al-Quds monthly (i.e., the magazine of Fatah’s Information and Culture Commission in Lebanon) conducted an interview with Fatah Movement Central Committee member [and Fatah Commissioner for Arab and China Relations] Abbas Zaki…
[Question:] Have you discussed the matter of Hamas’ weapons?
[Abbas Zaki:] Our viewpoint is that as long as there is an occupation, it is forbidden to cancel any of the expressions of the resistance, and one is welcome to use clean weapons against the enemy. However, it is forbidden that this use of weapons be subordinate to a faction or the caprice of a group, but rather [it should be subordinate] to a national decision. When we hold elections, we will choose a leadership and reactivate the institutions, [and] everything will be in the hands of the supreme leadership; but currently we are still in a situation of division. It is necessary to say here that regarding the public discussion about the weapons - if we say that it is necessary to disarm it is as if we are condemning the history of our struggle. We in the Fatah Movement laid the foundations of the culture of resistance, and if not for us, no one would be carrying weapons. Therefore, the talk about weapons needs to be conducted respectfully and with caution, as the weapons are a security balance, and the circumstances do not allow using them currently because we are part of a defeated nation and armies that are fighting each other. It is necessary to keep the weapons, develop them, and honor them (sic., apparently intent is “use them”) only when it will be worthwhile for us and harmful for the enemy. Based on this, the option of popular resistance is what is on the agenda, but it is necessary to find a specific definition for the popular resistance so that in the end it will lead to civil disobedience and in it all of the means will be used in order to disprove the democracy of ‘Israel’ and expose it as an apartheid entity.”