Intelligence and Terrorism Information
Center at the Israel Intelligence
Heritage & Commemoration Center
November 27, 2007
Protests of the Annapolis meeting
opponents – as of November 27, 2007
A mass rally held in Gaza City protesting the
Annapolis meeting (Al-Aqsa TV, November 27).
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1. The protests of the Annapolis meeting’s opponents in the Palestinian
Authority were focused in the Gaza Strip, although there was dissent in
Ramallah, Hebron and other locations. The protests in the Strip, which
increased in recent days, included the formation of an “rejection committee,” a
mass rally and the signing of a covenant opposing concessions at Annapolis.
Senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad activists stressed “the right to
return,” making no concessions regarding “all Palestinian land” and
continuing and even escalating “the path of resistance” (i.e., terrorism).
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2. The participation of Arab League foreign ministers in Annapolis, including
the Syrian deputy foreign minister, clearly exposed Iran’s isolation in the
Arab world. It also illustrated the Iranians’ inability to enlist significant,
effective opposition to the meeting. The Iranians sense, as became apparent
through their media, that the Annapolis meeting is an American move to form
a regional coalition to isolate Iran (the Iranian daily newspaper Kihan,
November 25).
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3. On November 26 Hamas convened an “rejection committee” in Gaza City to
counter the Annapolis meeting. Calling itself “The Palestinian national
committee for the preservation of fundamental principles,” it was composed of
senior Hamas and PIJ activists, representatives of the minor terrorist groups
and representatives of various bodies operating in the Gaza Strip.
“The Palestinian national committee for the preservation of fundamental
principles” (Palestine-info Website, November 27).
4. The following themes were prominent in the speeches made by Hamas
prime minister Ismail Haniya, Osama al-Muzeini and Mahmoud al-Zahar at
the rejection committee meeting (Al-Aqsa TV, November 26).
1) Palestinians will not cede an inch of Palestinian soil.
“Palestine from the [Mediterranean] sea to the [Jordan] river [belongs] to the
Palestinian people.”
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2) Palestinians are faithful to the principle of the refugees’
“right to return,” which is a “sacred” right; East and West Jerusalem are the
capital of Palestine.
3) The goals of the Palestinian people will be advanced by the
“resistance,” i.e., violence and terrorism. (Osama al-Muzeini: “What
was taken by force can only be restored by force.”)
4) The Palestinian delegation to Annapolis does not represent
the Palestinian people, it has no mandate to negotiate nor does it have the
authority to make concessions about the rights of the Palestinian people,
including the right of the “resistance.” (Mahmoud al-Zahar: “Whoever
opposed the resistance, fights against it, weakens it or collaborates with the
occupation against it is a traitor…”)
5) Agreeing to normalization with Israel is forbidden, since it
means “providing legitimacy for the occupation” and “a perpetuation of the
crumbling of the Palestinian people [and dividing it] into those who support
and those who oppose Israel.”
5. Muhammad al-Hindi, PIJ representative, noted the importance
of the “paths of jihad and istishhad [death as a martyr for the sake
of Allah].” He said that the Israel of today was not the Israel of the past, it
could be defeated and its strategic depth could be exposed (Al-Aqsa TV,
November 26).
Ismail Haniya: the Palestinians will not cede one
inch of Palestinian soil (Palestine-info Website,
November 27).
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6. On November 26 Hamas government prime minister Ismail Haniya and
Hamas representatives in the Palestinian Legislative Council signed a
covenant calling for “adherence to the fundamental principles and resistance
to concessions at the Annapolis meeting.”
The covenant signed by the Hamas members of the
Palestinian Legislative Council.
7. Palestinian Legislative Council representatives held a press conference at
which Ahmad Baher, acting Council chairman, read the covenant. He stressed
“the right of every Palestinian refugee to return to his land” and demanded the
release of all the Palestinian prisoners. He said that “not one inch of
Palestinian soil can be ceded, nor can its holy places, because they are Wakf
[Muslim religious endowment] lands for all Muslims (Qudsnet Website,
November 26).
8. On November 26 the Hamas weekly Al-Risala printed the covenant to
send a message to the Palestinian and Arab delegations in Annapolis.
According to Al-Risala, the covenant is the continuation of the law of “the
right to return” which was passed by the Palestinian Legislative Council
(convened in the Gaza Strip by Hamas) on November 22.
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9. During the afternoon of November 27 Hamas organized a mass rally in
Gaza City. Tens of thousands of people attended from all over the Gaza Strip.
Speeches were made by Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya and senior
Hamas and PIJ activists. The Annapolis meeting was denounced and the Arab
states were called upon to oppose any recommendation to normalize relations
with Israel.
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10. The Hamas-organized rally to oppose the Annapolis meeting was
accompanied by a propaganda campaign in the Hamas media, one of whose
branches is Al-Aqsa TV. For example, on November 25 there were many
programs glorifying the “resistance” (i.e., terrorism and violence), pictures of
terrorist operatives training, video tapes of suicide bombers’ “wills,” rockets
being launched, side charges being laid and children carrying weapons.
Cartoon from the Hamas newspaper Felesteen: the
caption reads “Winds from the autumn conference”
[i.e., the Annapolis meeting]. The leaves are inscribed
“return,” “resistance” and “Jerusalem” (November 27).
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11. Abu Abir, spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, announced
the beginning of an operation called “Autumn Storm,” in which the
organization would launch rockets at western Negev settlements during the
Annapolis meeting. He also said that the rockets would carry the message to
the whole world that the meeting did not represent the Palestinian people,
“and our rockets, which we began firing this morning at Sderot and [Kibbutz]
Nahal Oz, are the language we choose to send our messages and to
respond to the meeting and to the intention to waive the rights of the
Palestinians, and to sell them to further Israeli interests” (Interview conducted
by Ali Waked, Ynet correspondent, November 27).
12. The PRC in fact announced they would fire mortar shells and rockets on
the morning of November 27 as part of operation “Autumn Storms”
(Muqawamah Website, November 27). In point of fact, on November 27 (as of
4 p.m.) five mortar shells were launched from the northern Gaza Strip into
Israel and the Gaza Strip outskirts. The PRC and Fatah claimed responsibility.
In addition, during the evening a few rockets were fired into Israel. (No
further details available at this time.)
13. Hamas deputy prime minister, Dr. Mussa Abu Marzuq, said that after
the Annapolis meeting “resistance actions would escalate,” in every way and
by every means, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine-info Website,
November 23). He repeated the statement at a preparatory session for the
Islamic political party meeting which was held in Tehran on November 24
(IRNA, November 25).
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14. At the main ceremony for the anniversary of the founding of the Basij
forces (a voluntary paramilitary force), Iranian leader Ali Khamenei said
that all the politicians in the world were aware that the Annapolis meeting was
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doomed to failure. He said that the Americans hoped to use it to prop up “the
rapacious, artificial Zionist government” and thus to compensate themselves
for past failures. He said he expected the meeting to fail because of the
“awareness” of the Palestinian and other peoples, especially the Iranians
(Khabar TV, November 26).
Iranian leader Ali Khamenei reviewing the Basij
troops (Iran Daily, November 27).
15. Senior Iranian figures and the Iranian media criticized the Arab states
participating at Annapolis:
1) On November 25 Iranian president Ahmadinejad held a
telephone conversation with the Saudi Arabian king, during which he told him
that “the United States, which is an accomplice to the crimes of Zionism,
cannot serve as a mediator and host the Annapolis meeting.” He said that
“hopefully the name of Saudi Arabia will not be listed in the group
[of Arab states] participating in the Annapolis meeting”(Fars News
Agency, November 25).
2) Ahmadinejad’s advisor, Hussein Shariat Madari, denounced
Syria’s participation at Annapolis. He said that Iran was surprised by the
Syrian position and described Syrian participation as a mistaken
decision. He also said that the Palestinian delegation did not represent the
Palestinian people: they had elected Hamas, which was not participating in
the meeting (Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, November 27).
3) On November 26 the daily Gumhouri criticized the Egyptian regime,
calling it the “Camp David regime,” for its participation in the Annapolis
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meeting. It accused Hosni Mubarak of being part of an American-Zionist
“plot” in which he expressed his willingness to go to Tel Aviv to resolve the
disagreements between Israel and the Palestinians (Gumhouri, November 26).
4) Hundreds of university students in Tehran demonstrated
in front of the Jordanian embassy to protest the Annapolis meeting.
Their shouted slogans were “Death to the United States,” “Death to Israel,”
“Death to the compromisers,” “Syria, Syria, shame, shame” and “We fight,
we die, we do not agree to compromise.” The students were confronted by
internal security forces (Aasr Iran Website, November 26).
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16. The “rejection committee” which was supposed to meet in Damascus
did not do so. “Palestinian sources” in Damascus reported to the Palestinian
newspaper Al-Ayyam that Syria refused to hold the meeting “because it did
not want to seem to be supporting one Palestinian side at the expense of the
other” (Al-Ayyam, November 25. The real reason was probably Syria’s
participation at Annapolis. According to Al-Hayat’s Tehran correspondent,
within a few days Iran is expected to host ten Palestinian
organizations opposing Annapolis (Al-Hayat, November 27).
17. In the same context, “Palestinian sources” told the Al-Hayat
correspondent in Damascus that on November 26, Walid al-Mualem, the
Syrian foreign minister, met with Khaled Mashal, head Hamas’ political
bureau, located in Damascus. He had previously met with Hassan Akhtari, the
Iranian ambassador to Damascus. The same sources said that al-Mualem
explained that’s Syria’s main reason for participating in the Annapolis meeting
was the supreme national priority of the Golan Heights issue (Al-Hayat,
November 27).