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Apr 04, 2021
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Former Palestinian Ambassador To The U.N. Nasser Al-Qidwa: Israel Is Our Main Threat – Not Iran; Gaza Weapons Serve Palestinian National Interests

#8770 | 01:16
Source: Mayadeen TV (Lebanon)

Palestinian Politician and former Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Nasser Al-Qidwa said that Iran is not biggest threat to the Palestinians, but Israel is. He said that any disagreement with Iran must be resolved through dialogue. Al-Qidwa made these remarks in an interview that aired on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) on April 4, 2021. Al-Qidwa is Yasser Arafat's nephew. Recently he was expelled from the Fatah movement by Mahmoud Abbas, when he challenged the Palestinian president's decision to present only one Fatah list in the coming elections. In the interview, he said that the weapons of the "resistance" in Gaza serve the Palestinian national interests and must not be taken away.

Nasser Al-Qidwa: "I completely oppose the theory that Iran is [our] main threat. The main threat is and will continue to be, Israel. Regardless of any disagreement, our relations with Iran must be subject to a positive and constructuve dialogue in order to resolve any disagreement that may arise. Iran constitutes a key element in the region and we must deal with it accordingly."

[...]

Interviewer: "What is your position with regard to the weapons of the resistance in Gaza?"

Al-Qidwa: "They must not be taken away. They must not be taken away. The question of using these weapons must be subject to dialogue, and this dialogue should lead to an agreed-upon Palestinian decision. However, the existence of these weapons serves the Palestinian national interest. When we achieve national independence we will have different things to say about this."

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