Biden Administration Ignores What the Palestinians Are Really Saying
by Khaled Abu Toameh • April 26, 2022 at 5:00 am
Hamas "will remain committed to its charter until the goals of our people are achieved, including the liberation [of all Palestine]." — Hazem Qassem, Hamas spokesperson, palinfo.com, April 22, 2022.
The Biden administration's representatives who are talking about "the need for all parties to work for calm, especially in Jerusalem," appear to be overlooking that the latest tensions are, at best, only partially related to the city or the al-Aqsa Mosque.
For Hamas, the riots at the al-Aqsa Mosque are simply part of a long-term strategy to destroy all of Israel.
"The battle [with Israel] is open. What is happening at the mosque will shorten the life of the occupation until it is expelled from Palestine. We are still at the beginning of the battle." — Ismail Haniyeh, senior political leader of Hamas, panet.co.il, April 21, 2022.
So, while the Biden administration is reaffirming its commitment to a "two-state solution," which means establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel, Hamas and its supporters are openly expressing their intention to continue their jihad until they exterminate Israel.
Haniyeh remains more popular than Abbas and in a presidential election, would easily defeat him. The poll also showed that if parliamentary elections were held today, Hamas would defeat Abbas's faction, the Fatah.
The results of the polls clearly telegraph that any future Palestinian state will unquestionably be controlled by Hamas and used as a launching pad to continue the fight until Israel is obliterated.
The Palestinians, for their part, have been, as always, refreshingly clear about what they want -- and a mosque is not it.
The recent riots at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount in Jerusalem provide further proof of the widespread support among Palestinians for Hamas, the Islamist group controlling the Gaza Strip that is designated as a terrorist organization not only by Israel, but also by the US, Canada, the EU, Japan, Australia and Britain.
Yet, none of these countries has so far condemned Hamas for orchestrating and inciting the violence, during which thousands of Palestinians desecrated the al-Aqsa Mosque compound by hurling stones and launching fireworks at Israeli security forces. Nor have they expressed concern over the calls made by Hamas supporters at the holy site to murder Jews and wage jihad (holy war) against Israel.
