Who Is the P.A.’s New Partner?

Today, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas presented a unity government with Hamas.

“Today, and after announcing the government of national unity, we declare the end of division that caused catastrophic harm to our cause,” he said.

Who is this new partner of the P.A., the group the United States has given billions in aid to?

Hamas is the acronym for “Islamic Resistance Movement.” Spawned by Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, their members consistently and blatantly express their ideas. Put simply: they say what they mean and they mean what they say.

Here’s what Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on May 29:

“We think that the path of negotiations and peace talks has reached a dead end. The resistance [i.e., terror campaign, 2000-2005], which liberated Gaza [in 2005] and protected Gaza, can liberate the West Bank and the rest of the Palestinian lands, Allah willing. The liberator of Gaza, with the help of Allah, can liberate Jerusalem, the West Bank and the rest of Palestine [i.e., Israel]."

Hamas also clearly state their goals.  Here’s what Article 11 of their charter says.

“The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine has been an Islamic Waqf throughout the generations and until the Day of Resurrection, no one can renounce it or part of it, or abandon it or part of it.  No Arab country nor the aggregate of all Arab countries, and no Arab King or President nor all of them in the aggregate, have that right, nor has that right any organization or the aggregate of all organizations, be they Palestinian or Arab, because Palestine is an Islamic Waqf throughout all generations and to the Day of Resurrection.”

What this means is that they believe the land of "Palestine" was once Muslim and it is their religious duty to conquer it again for Islam.

Here’s some more of Haniyeh’s views:

Dec. 14, 2011

"We say today, explicitly, so it cannot be explained otherwise, that the armed resistance and the armed struggle are the path and the strategic choice for liberating the Palestinian land, from the [Mediterranean] sea to the [Jordan] river, and for the expulsion of the invaders and usurpers [Israel] from the blessed land of Palestine. The Hamas movement will lead Intifada after Intifada until we liberate Palestine -- all of Palestine, Allah willing. Allah Akbar and praise Allah. We say with transparency and in a clear manner, that Palestinian reconciliation -- and all sides must know this -- cannot come at the expense of [our] principles, at the expense of the resistance. These principles are absolute and cannot be disputed: Palestine -- all of Palestine -- is from the sea to the river. We won't relinquish one inch of the land of Palestine. The involvement of Hamas at any stage with the interim objective of liberation of [only] Gaza, the West Bank, or Jerusalem, does not replace its strategic view concerning Palestine and the land of Palestine."

With such impassioned statements, it’s hard to see Hamas agreeing to the three conditions given by the Quartet (U.S., U.N., E.U. and Russia): 1. recognition of Israel; 2. renunciation of violence, and 3. adherence to previous diplomatic agreements.

In song, speech and in action, like the thousands of rockets they have fired into Israel, Hamas is dedicated, committed, and sworn to destroy Israel.

They see a future without Israel. This is the new partner of the Palestinian Authority.