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NU: Hamas and Fatah need to unite

NU Online  ·  Senin, 5 Januari 2009 | 11:22 WIB

Jakarta, NU Online
General chairman of the Indonesia's biggest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) KH Hasyim Muzadi had some sound advice for Palestine's feuding Fatah and Hamas Factions here on Monday. In essence, he told them to immediately unite because the conflict between the two main parties has clearly benefited Israel to destroy Palestine.

As addressing a press conference at the NU headquarters, Hasyim who was accompanied by Endang Turmudi (secretary general) and Masykuri Abdillah (chairman), said that the unity of the Palestinian people was a must because conflicts and disputes between them could be considered as their weaknesses in struggle.<>

Hasyim said the reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah had most of the time reached a dead end, adding this condition could easily be used by Israel to attack against Palestine.

"In February 2007 there was an agreement between Khaled Meshal (Hamas leader) and Mahmoud Abbas (President of Palestine who is also one of founding members of Fatah) that was affirmed in the Mecca Agreement. Unfortunately they, again and again, feuded with one another three weeks later," Hasyim said.

In addition, Hasyim said, the struggle of the Palestinian people, admitted or not, depended on Arab countries though they have now been divided; on one hand there have been some supporting the struggle and there have been some still keeping silent on the other.

Hasyim said if the two main Palestinian parties could be in unity and Muslim countries supported Palestine, there would be such big possibility of the support of international communities to the country.

"The international support will not be effective if the first two factors can not be met, namely the unity of Hamas-Fatah and the support of Arab countries," the Secretary General of the NU's International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS) said.

Hasyim who is also the president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) said the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip was a warning to the Palestine's feuding factions to immediately unite and improve their management of struggle. If not, the fate of Palestine could not be changed. (rif)