A year of leading the Palestinian Authority has “opened up our eyes,” Hamas spokesperson Ismal Redwan said in a statement Friday. While formerly advocating the “all or nothing” approach in its attempts to destroy Israel, in which the terror group conducted an all out war demanding the dissolution of Israel, Hamas has come to realize that the “salami tactic” - advocated for years by Fatah heads Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas – was the preferred tactic. The adoption of the “staged withdrawal” program, in which the Arabs push Israel to lop off a section of land each round of negotiation, could be worked into the framework of Hamas' terror program, he said.
With that, Redwan stressed, Hamas still believes in the efficacy of the “armed struggle,” and affirmed the Arabs' right to attacks Jews whenever and where ever possible. The terror program could, however, be conducted in line with a political program that would enter into temporary agreements with Israel on land withdrawals. Any such agreements, however, would by nature be temporary, since Hamas would not compromise “on even one inch of holy Palestinian land.” Israel's threats to enter Gaza in response to the ongoing Kassam rocket firings by Gaza terrorists against Israeli targets do not frighten Hamas, he added, since “Israel will not find its path strewn with flowers if it is so foolish as to try to enter Gaza,” he said.
With that, Redwan stressed, Hamas still believes in the efficacy of the “armed struggle,” and affirmed the Arabs' right to attacks Jews whenever and where ever possible. The terror program could, however, be conducted in line with a political program that would enter into temporary agreements with Israel on land withdrawals. Any such agreements, however, would by nature be temporary, since Hamas would not compromise “on even one inch of holy Palestinian land.” Israel's threats to enter Gaza in response to the ongoing Kassam rocket firings by Gaza terrorists against Israeli targets do not frighten Hamas, he added, since “Israel will not find its path strewn with flowers if it is so foolish as to try to enter Gaza,” he said.