Mondoweiss: ‘A time of painful birth and major transformation’: a senior Hamas leader reflects on October 7 and its aftermath
An interview with senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk. Some selected quotes and commentary:
The October 7th operation halted Israel’s project of regional dominance after it was shattered by just a few hundred Al-Qassam fighters. Israel can no longer claim that it protects the region and the Gulf against Iran, and thus all efforts to integrate it into the region have failed as a result of this operation.
I think this speaks to the fact that KSA and Israel were closing in on a deal for official recognition. But it’s deeper than just diplomatic ties. Israel wants to be “integrated” (I think more like, “in charge”) in with neighbors like KSA, Jordan and Egypt. Diplomatic, military, and economic integration - again, I don’t think Israel has equality in mind, though. That would have been horrible for the Palestinians, and that project is now dead in the water and likely will be for some time.
As for the goals set by Hamas, they have been solidified on the ground, and the national project is now closer to realization, while the Zionist project is further from execution, despite the balance of power and the American support for Israel.
Yes I get that a senior Hamas leader will probably say this regardless but it’s still nice to hear, and I also happen to think this jives with the reality on the ground.
After every setback for the national movement and resistance, the people produced new elements to confront the Zionist movement. After the 1927 revolution came the 1936 revolution. Thirty-six years later, there was the 1947 war, followed by the fedayeen operations, then the formation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Liberation Army. After 1984 and PLO’s exit from Lebanon, the First Intifada started in 1987, then the second in 2000, followed by wars in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021.
This is very dialectical.
We extend our appreciation to the international solidarity movement with Palestine for their humanity and their efforts in confronting war criminals, despite the daily pressures they face. The situation even reached the point where American pilot Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire in protest against Israel’s genocide and the Biden administration’s stance on the war. We, along with our people, are deeply grateful to him and his family, as well as to all the free individuals standing in solidarity with our cause.
The Resistance frequently harkens back to Aaron Bushnell, I think he would be proud to know what his sacrifice meant to them.