His
brother, Jebril Rajoub, is a leading Fatah candidate representing
the Future List, headed by imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan
al-Barghuthi. The two will compete against each other in the upcoming
Palestinian elections.
Aljazeera.net's
correspondent in Palestine, Khalid Amayreh, spoke with Nayef Rajoub at
his home in Dura. The following are excerpts of the interview.
Aljazeera.net: Why did Hamas decide to participate in the legislative elections?
Nayef Rajoub:
We decided to take part in the elections in order to try to put an end
to the present anarchy, chaos and lawlessness permeating throughout the
country.
You
know that our society has been seriously inflicted with all sorts of
corruption: There is political corruption, there is financial
corruption, there is administrative corruption, and there is moral
corruption as well.
We
are more or less suffering a moral crisis. Hence, we will do our
best to rectify this situation in co-operation and co-ordination with
all well-meaning Palestinians, including our brothers in Fatah.
If Hamas wins a large number of seats in parliament, would the movement join the next Palestinian government?
This
depends on the size of our representation in the legislative council.
But in principle, I can tell you that there is nothing preventing us
from joining the government.
But Israel and the US would not agree to deal with a Palestinian government in which Hamas is represented.
Then why does the American government deal with the Lebanese government although Hizb Allah is part of that government?
How about Israel?
Well,
if the next Palestinian government is going to be answerable to Israel,
then Israel will have the final say. But if the government is
responsible to the Palestinian people, then Israel has no right to
interfere in our internal affairs.
What are your estimates regarding the prospects of joining the government?
I would say it is more likely that we won't join the government.
How many seats do you think Hamas will win in the forthcoming elections?
We will probably receive from 45 to 50 seats, and Fatah is likely to win between 35-40, and that would be very good for them.
But opinion polls give Fatah many more seats.
These
polls are not really scientific and are conducted by people with a
specific political agenda. Moreover, many of the polls are often
manipulated for political reasons.
We've
seen how the polls gave Fatah a large chunk of votes in Nablus, only to
see the Hamas list win 13 out of 15 seats in the recent [local]
elections there.
Do you expect Israel to impose further restrictions on Hamas MPs after the elections?
When
we get to the parliament, we will be representing the Palestinian
people, not just Hamas. But, yes, we expect Israel to keep up its
repressive measures against us. Israel might even resort to arresting
Islamic lawmakers in order to paralyse the council.
And what would be the implication of this?
The
implication is very clear, namely that Israel is an enemy of
Palestinian democracy and that true democracy and the Israeli
occupation can't really coexist since one is the antithesis of the
other.
Does Hamas aspire to normalise relations with the European Union?
Hamas
has no interest in provoking or alienating any country. We have nothing
against Europe as a matter of principle. But we would like to see the
EU adopt a more even-handed and honest approach to the enduring
Palestinian plight.
What do you mean by "even-handed approach"?
The
EU has kept silent while Israel is continuing to build this evil wall
in the depth of the West Bank, steal more and more of our land, build
more settlements and violate our most basic human rights.
This is in addition to the daily acts of murder of Palestinians by trigger-happy Israeli soldiers.
Javier
Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, said recently the EU might sever
aid to the Palestinian Authority if Hamas joined the government.
Well, which is more paramount, our freedom or EU money?
Will Hamas rely more on its political programme and platform or the quality of its candidates?
Both,
since a successful platform requires dedicated people to put into
effect. And dedication, to be effective, also requires meticulous
planning leading to the realisation of clear goals.
Will Hamas seek to improve relations with neighbouring Arab and Muslim countries?
This
is an essential part of our platform. We do believe that the
Palestinian issue is not and shouldn't be an exclusively Palestinian
issue. After all, Palestine and al-Masjidul Aqsa (al-Aqsa mosque) are
important for Muslims as well.
Will Hamas ever contemplate recognising Israel?
Will Israel ever contemplate recognising Palestine?
But Hamas is dedicated to Israel's destruction.
Isn't
Israel also dedicated to Palestine's destruction? Who is occupying
whose land? Who is tormenting and brutalising the other? Who has
expelled millions of innocent people from their ancestral land, Hamas
or Israel?
Will Hamas demand the implementation of the Sharia (Islamic law)?
The
implementation of the Sharia is not a priority at this juncture. This
doesn't mean, however, that we will not seek to amend some of the
existing laws in order to make them more even-handed.
Do
you think that there is a real possibility for the creation of a truly
viable Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital?
This possibility is now very precarious. I think it is either dead or dying.
So what is the alternative?
The alternative is to end the occupation.
How do you view Fatah?
They are our brothers; we will seek to co-operate with them for the common good of the Palestinian people.
Do
you foresee yourself and your brother, Jebril Rajoub (former chief of
the Preventive Security Force), sitting side by side in parliament?
It could be, everything is possible.