Hussein Al-Sheik, Member of the Fatah Central Committee: Khaled Mash'al Is a Stupid Clown, Acting Like a Gang Leader

Following are excerpts from an interview with Hussein Al-Sheik, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, which aired on Palestinian Authority TV on October 12, 2009.

Interviewer: Is reconciliation a lost cause, in light of the political circumstances?

Hussein Al-Sheik: I don’t know with whom exactly Khaled Mash’al wants to reconcile, if he accuses the Palestinian leadership of treason, and of abandoning [our principles], and he calls for…

Interviewer: Holding it accountable…

Hussein Al-Sheik: If only just that. This clown is sanctioning the killing [of PA leaders]. That stupid clown is sanctioning their killing, when he says: I demand that you hold the leadership accountable, and you decide to what extent. But let me tell you, after that speech – I don’t know with whom exactly Hamas will reconcile.

[…]

We have a responsibility to the Palestinian people. We do not think in terms of blood vengeance. As I told you, a leader who thinks about revenge is not a real leader, but a gang leader. The things Mash’al said yesterday are the words of a gang leader. He’s a conniver.

[…]

We believe that Palestinian national unity is the shortest way to victory over Israel and its plan. But let me tell you, in all honesty, even before the Goldstone report, there were people in Hamas who publicly rejected reconciliation, and who were against going to Cairo to sign the reconciliation agreement. There are some very influential people in Hamas, who have become millionaires in the Gaza Strip. How will they possibly agree to reconciliation, to ending the division, and to giving up all this influence, and all their millions, which they plunder by means of tunnels, and so on? There are people within Hamas who strongly oppose reconciliation with Fatah, at any cost.