Raed Moussa-Gaza
A member of the political bureau of Islamic Jihad, Dr. Walid Al-Qotty, said that the movement, which commemorates the 32nd anniversary of its inception, has gone through many junctures over the past three decades, but has remained committed to its Islamic and national principles, and has maintained good relations with Palestinian factions and forces, and with states. And external components in support of the Palestinian right.
In a special interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Quti described the relationship with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) as "strong", and there is consensus on several issues and files, especially at the military level, after years ago marred by competition in the field of resistance against the occupation, or in terms of winning the Jamahiriya On the Palestinian street.
- 32 years have passed since the beginning of the Islamic Jihad, how do you evaluate this experience on the political and military levels?
Politically, there are constants and variables, and the constants of the movement are based on three axes: Islam as a starting point and reference, and Palestine as an issue and purpose, and jihad and resistance as an approach and means. The variables are consistent with the political stage the movement is going through as part of the national liberation movement.
- But some accuse you of the political stalemate, in view of your position rejecting the Oslo agreement and any phased political solutions consistent with the reality and local and international balances.
There is a difference between stability and stalemate. Stability is based on a method of thinking and action, and our rejection of Oslo stems from a hypothesis that has been proved even for those who made this agreement, since we believed - and still are - that the establishment of a Palestinian Authority under occupation is not the way to achieve the national liberation project. Considering that Oslo will perpetuate the occupation, increase settlement and accelerate the Judaization of Jerusalem.
The current reality confirms the correct position of jihad, how can an agreement that ceded from the beginning 78% of the historic land of Palestine to bring the right to its owners, and now even what was agreed upon was not committed by the Zionist enemy, is this called realistic and flexible or a concession?
Returning to the first question, how do you assess the development of your military action against the occupation?
There is no doubt that the resistance military action against the occupation has witnessed a great development, the movement, which dates to the beginning of its military resistance before the outbreak of the first intifada in 1987, moved from resistance with stones and knives to weapons and rockets, and in accordance with the nature of the conflict with the enemy, there is no one means of resistance, but holy The means is defined by the goal as a stage of national liberation.
- The development in armament and military action poses a question about your main sources of funding?
The Jihad movement develops its methods and capabilities with the development of conflict with the enemy. In the first phase of the movement's life there was no weapons, we did not receive funding from abroad, and the main dependence on donations, but at the present stage we do not deny that we are part of an axis and we have supporters and this is no secret On the one hand, the military wing has its means to obtain support from the Arab and Islamic nation.
- Is Iran your main source of funding, and what is the nature of the relationship with it now?
The relationship with the Islamic Republic is at its best, unaffected at any stage, and it does not fail to provide support at all levels politically and financially.
- Despite the impact of Hamas's relationship with Iran on the background of the position on the Syrian revolution, you have maintained your relationship with them; how to achieve this?
To begin with, we have had a conciliatory role to restore the relationship between Hamas and Iran recently, in order to ensure the unity of the resistance axis. With regard to the Arab Spring revolutions, we have been careful not to interfere in the affairs of the Arab countries from the beginning, and this has protected the movement from being negatively affected by its relationship with others.
- What is the nature of your relationship with the Egyptian and Syrian regimes?
The relationship is good. We view what is happening in Egypt and Syria as an internal affair, and the interference of external parties in the internal Arab conflicts further complicated matters, especially those involved in the Zionist-American project in the region.
- Internally, how do you evaluate your current relationship with Hamas, it is noticeable that there is convergence in many files and positions after years of fierce competition?
The relationship with Hamas is strong, as is our relationship with the other factions and components of our Palestinian people, and the competition you are talking about with Hamas has been in a positive context in terms of carrying out guerrilla operations against the occupation, especially during the first intifada and the Al-Aqsa Intifada, and seeking to gain popular and mass in the Palestinian street.
- Frequency talk about internal discussions took place at some stage of the unity and the integration of the two movements, what is the truth of that?
We always talk about coordination and cooperation in all national issues, and this is not limited to Hamas. We seek to unify the Palestinian position and form a comprehensive front that includes national and Islamic forces.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you mean the formation of a political body as you have already formed the joint operations room with Hamas and the other resistance forces in Gaza to coordinate the response in the armed confrontations with Israel?
The Joint Operations Room is a military model of coordination and unification of positions, and if we pass it on to the political side, it is a good model, so that the Palestinians have a unified framework to lead their national project.
- What about the PLO, is not a framework representing the Palestinians?
We refuse to form a parallel entity to the organization, and we always demand that it be reformed in order to enter it with Hamas, so that the organization will be an umbrella national framework, based on its old charter before canceling some of its clauses regarding the resistance of the enemy in 1996.
- What is the nature of your current relationship with the organization and Fatah?
As I said, our position on the organization is that it needs to be reformed and rebuilt to conform to the national liberation project, and we have no principled position that refuses to enter the organization, but there are conditions that it should be rebuilt on a national basis that guarantees national rights and elevates the resistance approach. National Project.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about the relationship with Fatah, especially since you have been accused of identifying with Hamas?
Regarding the conflict between the two movements and the internal division, we reject the division and support any initiative for reconciliation based on national reconciliation. We believe that the Oslo agreement was one of the most important reasons for the division. When the conflict with the occupation turned into a struggle for power and a political system under occupation, it was one of the causes of the Palestinian differences. Which contributed to the division, and I do not hold the responsibility here for any particular party.
- Hamas has agreed to the initiative of the eight factions of reconciliation, and you are one of its main parties, but the statements of the leaders of Fatah showed its rejection, will you declare it responsible for the failure of the initiative?
Our work is not to blame the party. Such a situation complicates matters. We must not despair and continue to work to restore unity. We still hope that Fatah will formally respond by accepting the initiative to start discussing its implementation.
- Against the background of the bombings in Gaza targeted police points, talk is about movement within the movement of jihad and revisions of elements adopting takfiri thought, what is the truth of that?
Jihad is a Palestinian national liberation movement with an Islamic reference that adopts moderate centrist thought, and thus rejects all currents of takfir and betrayal, and rejects the attempts of these currents, which call themselves Islamic names to deflect the compass of resistance and jihad away from Jerusalem and Palestine. It uttered from its ranks those who do not fit with it politically and intellectually.