“I am confident that Arab countries would not accept to play such a role demanded by the U.S. and Israel,” Rantissi

By Yasser El-Bana, IOL Correspondent

GAZA, June 15 (IslamOnline.net &  News Agencies) - Arab countries will not act against Islamic resistance movement Hamas as requested by the United States, the group’s leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi said on Sunday, June 15.

“I am confident that Arab countries would not accept to play such a role demanded by the U.S. and Israel, as they would rather hold to minimum support for the Palestinians’ steadfastness,” Rantissi said in an exclusive interview with IslamOnline.net.

U.S. President George W. Bush said earlier in the day that the world must "deal harshly" with Hamas, in the most extensive comments since last’s week’s turmoil which came days after his Secretary of State Colin Powell demanded Arab states to crack down hard on Palestinian resistance factions especially Hamas.

“We did not expect Arab countries to heed to these calls or abandon their commitment toward Palestine and Jerusalem even if they come under pressures,” said Rantissi, who escaped an Israeli air raid on Gaza on Tuesday, June 10.

Palestinian resistance groups said the failed Israeli attempt on the Rantissi’s life was a "coup de grace" in the heart of the U.S.-driven roadmap for Mideast peace.

“We do expect from Arab countries to reject associating resistance with terrorism and continue to give support to the legitimate Palestinian resistance, especially Hamas,” Rantissi contended, dismissing doubts that the movement’s financial sources are on the line with the U.S. appeal.

“The Americans don’t understand the reality of the Arab support to the Palestinian resistance, therefore, they could not tight up on us in this respect,” he said, with a mutual feeling of defiance and confidence.

No Truce

Rantissi ruled out that Hamas will accept a truce with Israeli occupation forces, as long as “they continued aggressions against the Palestinians.”

Demonstrating a defiant tone, the Hamas leader said that the recent attacks against the groups’ members only made it stronger.

“Days proved that there is growing support for Hamas despite the enemy’s ferocious attacks,” Rantissi said.

Israeli Internal Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi warned Hamas leaders last week that that not one of them was safe any more, as his country declared an “all-out war” against them.

“Hamas will continue its Jihad, and its military wing still reiterates calls for foreigners to leave all parts of the Zionist entity,” Rantissi added.

Rantissi argued that as Israeli forces targeted all Palestinians, including women and children anywhere of the self-ruled areas, Hamas made reciprocal vows.

Rantissi said the Israeli decision to crack down on Hamas “paints a clear picture how the Israelis are now plunged into collapse, as most of Sharon’s election promises of providing security within 100 days’ time now evaporated into thin air”.

He dismissed Israeli threats as nothing but signs of “low morale and a state of confusion,” afflicting the Jewish state.

Hamas had earlier said that it is ready to end all attacks against Israel only when the more than 50 years of the Jewish state’s occupation of Palestinian areas is put to an end.

Rantissi Saturday shrugged off an Israeli truce proposal as a surrender to the occupation, asserting that as long as the occupation remains, resistance against Israeli soldiers and settlers would continue.

Hamas is ready to spare the lives of Israeli “civilians” if and when the Israeli occupation troops release all Palestinian detainees, stop targeting Palestinian resistance activists, end house demolitions and lift the all-out closures on Palestinian areas, Rantissi said.

No Dialogue With Aqaba

Rantissi made it clear that there are no talks between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) now, as the group made the decision to break off from them since Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas’ statement in Aqaba.

Abbas, commonly known as Abu Mazen, vowed in the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba earlier this month that he would end “violence and terrorism” in Palestinian territories and end the “militarization” of Intifada, a statement dismissed by Palestinian factions as giving too many concessions to Israel.

“Resuming talks with the PA needs a reconsideration, as the latter spoke in two different voices with (U.S President George W.) Bush and Sharon on one hand and with Hamas on the other,” Rantissi said.

“So the PA should rescind Aqaba statements in order to allow breathing life into the suspended dialogue,” he added.

Rantissi warned any Israeli move to assassinate Hamas spiritual leader Ahmed Yassin would open Pandora’s Box.

“Sheikh Yassin is a man of nation, and any attempt on his life will send the gravity of tension to the maximum, and will open new doors of conflict that Israel does not know, and which we even do not want to make public,” Rantissi said.

“Hamas will never be an easy-to-catch prey,” he added.