"His speech to rapturous crowds attending the anniversary rally recently was nothing short of incendiary. “We will never recognise the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation and therefore there is no legitimacy for Israel, no matter how long it will take,” adding “No Palestinian leader has the authority to relinquish one inch of Gaza or the West Bank. We will press ahead with reconciliation [with Fatah] to end divisions and to stand united against the Zionist occupation,” he pledged. “Today is Gaza. Tomorrow will be Ramallah and after that [occupied] Jerusalem then Haifa and Jaffa.”

That defiant message may have played well with some Palestinians, but it has reaffirmed Israel’s assertion that Hamas wants nothing less than the Jewish state’s destruction. Moreover, his promotion of a course of action that is not doable, given Israel’s military superiority, keeps an unrealistic dream alive. His stance is in sharp contrast to that of President Abbas, who believes violence is not the answer. If Mesha’al believed his speech would terrorise his enemies, he was mistaken. Its salient points will have been received like milk and honey in the Netanyahu camp and will be quoted again and again by Israeli spokespersons on western TV channels to emphasize that, like the leopard, Hamas “a terrorist organisation” will never change its spots." Linda Heard 

http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/mesha-al-oils-israel-s-propaganda-machine-with-his-statement-1.1116817

Mesha’al oils Israel’s propaganda machine with his statement

The defiant message may have played well with some Palestinians, but it has reaffirmed Israel’s assertion that all Hamas wants is the Jewish state’s destruction

Image Credit: Niño Jose Heredia/©Gulf News