In an interview on Al-Arabiya TV yesterday, Mohammad Dahlan, chairman of the Palestinian Legislative Council’s Security Committee, made an interesting admission: “It seems that some of the Hamas spokesmen are not even good liars anymore.”
So they used to be, eh, Dahlan? I agree. I think they were among the best. Of course, their audience was so willing and eager to be fooled.
Dahlan also mocks the Hamas contention that they are the pure ones, the executors of the will of Allah.
From a translation from the Arabic circulated kindly sent to me by Nissan Retlev-Katz:
…When we were at university, there was a slogan that told us that our work is bad and we will burn in hell. Ever since we met with the Islamic camp, the political tension started. I was never part of the side that turned the political disagreements into personal ones. Hamas makes everything personal and you would be seen – depending on how lucky you are – as a non- believer, blasphemist, spy. They are always the good and the pure ones.
[…]
I saw the speeches made by them, and I was happy as a Fatah member, to listen to the madness coming out of the mouths of some magicians. But I was also sad about what Hamas has ended up being. It used to be a resistance movement, and now it is a movement that is chasing people with accusations and acting as if it is God Almighty’s deliverer on earth.
This witchcraft should stop, because it does not frighten anyone and does not change anything.
[…]
Concerning the claims that there is an attempt to assassinate Ismail Haniyeh, I think that there are tapes documenting everything. He expressed this with two big mistakes – the cameras were filming the ones that were above – of course they were! The cameras have been there since the (Rafah) crossing was opened.
Because the scandal was documented on these cameras, Hamas wants to find an excuse for this. Also neither the Palestinian people, nor Fatah nor Israel want Mr. Ismail Haniyeh.
Mr. Ismail Haniyeh is respected, even by Fatah. Therefore, things should not be portrayed as if there was an attempted assassination. This is part of a series of lies. It seems that some of the Hamas spokesmen are not even good liars anymore.
[…]
We gave the Authority to Hamas and they destroyed it. Therefore, I think if elections are held according to plan that will be set by the Central Elections committee, Fatah will surprise the Palestinians with its performance and will surprise the Arabs with the results that it will receive.
[…]
Finally, I want to ask the Hamas people to carefully consider their actions. They are not God’s representatives on earth. They were not chosen to carry out the will of God on earth, as they want to believe.