The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has remained firm in its strategy for peace. A Palestinian state must be created before it normalizes with Israel. This is in line with the Arab Peace Initiative, which the late King Abdullah proposed to the Arab League, and was accepted by all Arab Nations, but rejected by Israel. Israel will have seen that when the UAE normalized with Israel, it made the case that this would end annexation plans of the West Bank, but Israel is now implementing annexation. It will conclude that Israel cannot be trusted and any agreements must be watertight.
3. SS: The IDF has been attacking the West Bank for almost a year. Some experts feel that Israel wants to destroy the West Bank as they have destroyed Gaza. In your point of view, will the West Bank face the same fate as Gaza?
KH: Israel feels complete impunity to do as it wishes. In particular, the US will not challenge, end arms sales, or sanction it. The far right government wants to expel the Palestinians from the whole of historic Palestine and to do that it will make the West Bank unlivable as it has done in Gaza. It has focused its destructive efforts on refugee camps, which it sees, together with eliminating UNRWA, as ending the issue of the refugees.
4. SS: Many feel that Hamas is to blame for the death and destruction of Gaza and Lebanon. What is your take on these accusations?
KH: Gaza has been destroyed, and thousands have been slaughtered by Israel, not Hamas. Many Lebanese have been killed by Israel, not Hamas. Israel has breached International Law repeatedly. The time to review the actions of the resistance is at the end of the aggression, not now. Resistance groups are fully entitled to fight Israel in all the areas it occupies, in accordance with international law.
5. SS: Palestine is facing extinction. Hamas and Fatah have been fighting each other for years and this lack of Palestinian unity has contributed to this perilous situation. In your opinion, what will it take to save Palestine?
KH: The division between Fatah and Hamas has been destructive to the Palestinians and this must end. In the meantime, the Palestinians need to speak with one voice. The Palestinians were hopeful that this was to result from the 'Beijing Agreement' which was drawn by all the factions, but which the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas refuses to implement. Pressure from the Palestinian people needs to be heaped upon him to implement this and to end the division.
Steven Sahiounie is a two-time award-winning journalist
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