Several countries have responded to Donald Trump's controversial decision, denouncing the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Yabiladi spoke to Hazem Kassem, spokesman for the Palestinian organization Hamas. The activist called Arab leaders to put pressure on the US administration, while insisting that an extraordinary session of Al-Quds Committee should be held. Interview. How did the Hamas movement see Donald Trump's decision ? The US President's resolution is a flagrant violation of international law. We can even say that, through this decision, the United States officially endorsed the Israeli occupation of the holy city, which targets the Palestinian people and the Arab States. Making such a disconcerting and unrealistic decision adds fuel to the fire at a time when the political situation in the Middle East is unstable. Historically, the USA has always taken the Israeli side. But this time, instead of adopting a Pro-Israeli policy, Donald Trump has chosen to take sides and openly declared that he is in favor of colonization. He supports and will further support Israel's public, military and criminal policy. That said, relocating the US embassy is not going to change facts. This is a historical truth : Al-Quds is a Palestinian city. How do you see the actions undertaken by the Arab States (notably Morocco), which were against the decision of the American administration ? Recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is not only harmful to Palestinians, but also to our allies. The American administration has taken this step openly declaring hostilities. I believe that what is important and primordial now is to come together, unify our efforts and exert effective international pressure. Of course, we take note of all the solidarity initiatives of countries that are committed to the Palestinian cause. This is precisely the case of Morocco, which is heading Al-Quds Committee. However, I think that strength is in unity and Arab countries should learn from that in order to act on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestine, and Al-Quds in particular, is historically linked to Morocco. I believe that we will succeed in making the United States reverse their decision. What do you expect from the Moroccan movement for the support of Palestine ? In Hamas, we know how committed Moroccans are to the Palestinian cause. Morocco has always been one of our biggest allies and the US President's announcement has created a wave of anger within the Moroccan civil society. We hope that the international and regional support we are receiving will stop the American administration from moving its embassy to Al-Quds. King Mohammed VI is the Chairman of Al-Quds Committee, which is affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). What do you expect from this committee ? The Committee's involvement in the peace process is extremely commendable. I am convinced that the committee can also make political actions by reminding the USA of peaceful principles of regional balance. We also hope that the Committee convenes an extraordinary session to support Palestinians in Al-Quds. How can you describe the situation in the West Bank and the Gaza strip after Trump's speech ? Anger is all over the place. On Thursday, the Hamas movement took the streets protesting against Trump's decision. Gaza is calm as it is controlled by the Israelis. But in the coming days, the situation can change in the West Bank and we are concerned that Palestinians and the occupation army clash. This, however, doesn't prevent us from standing up against the White House's recent announcement. More than that, we are in constant contact with the Palestinian people in the West Bank, because our people must remain united in their struggle for freedom. The boundaries of Al-Quds were drawn by the blood of these martyrs who died for freedom and the American administration is not to decide on that. Do you think that the current situation would help bring Hamas and Fatah together and speed the reconciliation deal ? Donald Trump's speech can be seen as a major consequence of the success of Palestinian reconciliation. In Hamas, we made important concessions in the name of national unity. Indeed, we consider that we can face everything if we are united. On Thursday, meetings were attended by the Hamas and Fatah representations and a long meeting was held with the Palestinian Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah. Hamas is committed to reconciliation. The situation of Al-Quds is dependent on this process and it is our duty to overcome our past conflicts in order to achieve all the objectives set in the framework of the national agreement.
