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Jan 19, 2016
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Fatah Central Committee Member Tirawi: Palestinian State on 1967 Borders Is Just a Phase

#5275 | 04:52
Source: Online Platforms

Fatah Central Committee member Tawfiq Al-Tirawi told the Maan News Agency that "Palestine stretches from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea" and that "a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, is just a phase." The former PA intelligence chief also said that "Hitler wasn't corrupt" in the January 19, 2016 interview.


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "I believe that the current Palestinian Intifada has united the Palestinian people. The Intifada united the people in all geographical parts of Palestine. If you ask for my opinion on this issue, I have an 'extremist' view.


Interviewer: "Yes, I'd like to hear your opinion."


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "My 'extremist' opinion in this issue – within the limits of what may be said – is that Palestine stretches from the (Jordan) River to the (Mediterranean) Sea."


Interviewer: "That is our homeland, from the river... The state can be within the PA (borders), but the homeland never changes."


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "On the contrary, a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, is just a phase, as far as I am concerned. Let me ask a question, which I often ask intellectuals and politicians, and it turns out that they had never thought about it: What did Abu Ammar (Arafat) say when he declared in Algeria the establishment of the Palestinian state?"


Interviewer: "He said that he would establish a state on any liberated piece of land."


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: No. He said: 'I hereby declare the establishment of the State of Palestine on our Palestinian land, with noble Jerusalem as its capital.' That is what he said. Where is our Palestinian land? Palestine. Where is noble Jerusalem? Jerusalem. We did not say 'East Jerusalem,' and we did not say '1967 borders.'"


Interviewer: "But this is the political path."


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "Never mind. This does not mean that I will refuse to accept a state on the 1967 borders. What I say is: Didn't the world construct Lebanon? Didn't the world construct the post-Yugoslav countries? Don't think that there can be a solution to the Palestinian issue by establishing a state the borders of which are limited to the West Bank and Gaza. I challenge any Palestinian to say that the map of Palestine is limited to the West Bank and Gaza."


Interviewer: "On this we agree."


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "The map of Palestine, which is engraved in the minds of every human being, and in every book, on every street, in every city, everywhere... Who wants to distort it and replace it with another map?"


Interviewer: "Some textbooks in our Palestinian schools have removed the Red Sea from the map."


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "This is a mistake. This does not mean that I want to throw the Jews into the sea. No, I want to live together with them..."


Interviewer: "Why throw them into the sea? We'll give them plane tickets out of here."


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "No, not that either. We want the people who are in Palestine to live in Palestine in its historical borders, and we want all the Palestinian refugees will return to their country.


[...]


"What we basically need is to strengthen (Palestinian) belonging."


Interviewer: "Belonging to what? To the homeland? To the leader?"


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "No, no. There is no such thing as belonging to a leader. There is loyalty to a leader. There is a difference between loyalty and belonging."


Interviewer: "What's the difference between loyalty to hearing and obeying?"


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "Loyalty is another form of hearing and obeying. The Islamic movement talk about hearing and obeying, and the secularists about loyalty."


Interviewer: "Do you agree with this?"


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "Of course not. Absolutely not."


Interviewer: "But you are a general. You should be the first to believe in hearing and obeying, discipline, and 'shoulder, arms!'..."


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "No, no. There is a difference..."


Interviewer: "Life is not a military barracks..."


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "There is a difference between an officer who carries out orders, and loyalty to the leader. This leader could be corrupt..."


Interviewer: "How would we know he was corrupt?"


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "Who doesn't know his leader is corrupt?"


Interviewer: "The German people did not know that Hitler was corrupt."


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "He wasn't corrupt."


Interviewer: "The French people view De Gaulle as half a prophet. I'm not familiar with Churchill's history, but the people view him as one of the most important politicians..."


Tawfiq Al-Tirawi: "Let's be logical. Hitler wasn't corrupt. He was reckless."


Interviewer: "You know what, let's take a tea break. We don't want you to get arrested because of our show. Let's have tea and take a break. Let's move away from Hitler."

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