KRIEGER: What do you think about the Annapolis peace process? MISHAAL : Annapolis was not a serious step by America. It was a way to deepen the Palestinian conflict by supporting [Fatah President Mahmoud] Abbas against Hamas. It also came as a way to support [Israeli Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert in his home base against his internal problems. But you also need to put Annapolis within the context of America trying to set the stage for an invasion of Iran. To win favor with the Arabs in the region, America needs to show that it is doing something on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That’s why Annapolis wasn’t serious. There were nine meetings between Olmert and Abbas before Annapolis; they all failed. It was clear from Bush’s speech that he had no intention of pushing in Israel. Unless the American administration puts pressure on the Israelis, there will be no peace in the region. The recent escalations in Gaza, the construction of new settlements, their unresponsiveness to negotiations—the Palestinians and all Arabs consider America responsible for this.
Do you feel betrayed by the presence of so many Arab countries at Annapolis? Obviously it didn’t make me happy. But their attendance only happened because of American pressure. They didn’t go willingly. And this is not the way to build a genuine peace. America’s foreign policy is based on pulling some states close and excluding others—like Hamas—trying to isolate them, send them to the corner. This doesn’t build peace. Those who can build peace are those who hold power on the ground.
Has fear of Iran pushed some Arab states — particularly Sunni ones — closer to America? This theory isn’t realistic because all the Arab states know that going to America doesn’t work. America is not capable of protecting any Arab states—it can’t even defend itself. And at the end of the day, the countries in the region—Arab and Muslim, Sunni and Shia—have to live together, have to coexist. The solution for America is not to incite one party against another.
Have you been following the U.S. presidential campaign? Do you think a particular candidate would do a better job guiding U.S. policy in the Middle East? Regrettably, the Arabs and the Palestinians don’t find any important differences between any of the candidates or any of the parties. There may be small differences between them on other issues, but not on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We’ve tried peace with the Democrats, we’ve tried peace with the Republicans, and we haven’t found a president brave enough to tell Israel, “Enough.”
Isn ’ t your current feud with Fatah detracting from your goal of statehood? We are eager to have dialogue with Fatah, but yes, we have our differences. The president of the Palestinian Authority has turned his back on the Palestinian people. We have opened our doors to reconciliation, but they reject us. They can’t make decisions alone for the Palestinian people. It is not their right. They must respect Palestinian institutions, Palestinian democracy and its results. But America is inciting a lot of this conflict. After the events of Gaza last June, who prevented [Abbas] from negotiating with us? Who pressured the Arab countries not to encourage dialogue? America.
America clearly thinks a Hamas-led government cannot bring peace. The powerful are the ones who create peace, not the weak. Hamas has agreed to an Israeli state within the ‘67 borders. We are in favor of peace, but not at the expense of Palestinian rights. America wants to have weak leaders [like Abbas] so that they will accept the Israeli solutions. And we do not accept those solutions.
Do you still support armed struggle as a legitimate response to this situation? Not only Hamas but all the Palestinian people want to obtain their legitimate rights. If the peaceful road is able to do so, that is OK, and we prefer that. But if this road is blocked, we are obligated to find another way, which is by armed resistance. Resistance is not the end goal, though—it is just a means. But the international community must choose whether to help the Palestinian people to get their rights by peaceful methods or we have the right to resist in any way necessary.
Where do you stand now? In the Arab world, not a single person believes these negotiations will bring peace. There is no balance of power between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Israel is so much stronger; why should it respect Palestinian rights? America puts no pressure on Israel to force it down the road to peace, and the Israelis will not willingly select peace. So we are observing.
