The Intifada: A revolution and reaction to Israeli violence

In an exclusive interview with AL-Ahram, Foreign Minister Amr Moussa asserted that the Palestinian Intifada is a reaction the Israeli violence, and the practices of its forces.

Excerpts:

* The Palestinian Intifada is just a means, and not an aim in itself.

*We reject that the struggle of the Palestinian people be termed as violence. It is a revolution and a reaction. Calling upon the Palestinians to stop violence serves Israeli targets.

*If some wants to generalize the term violence, in exchange of the withdrawal of Israeli army and stopping settlements, we may accept this express, just to pass an agreement.

* I do not exclude the expansion of Israeli violence against other countries in the region. When there is an extremist policy, everything is probable.

*Israeli use of force has reached the degree of terrorism. This adds a new element to the political equilibrium and we have to denounce Israeli practices.

* I personally believe that the Israeli operation is an indication of hopelessness.

* Israeli army is no more respectable. The image that Israel tried to create about itself has failed

*Israeli violence has nothing to do with rightist or leftist currents. It is a question of the policy of a certain administration, namely the US administration. It could be rightist or liberal.

*All US administrations, irrespective of their trend, have failed, as long as they adopt Israeli viewpoints, and try to market them to Arab states.

* Madrid Conference (1991) was the political price to form an international alliance against Iraq.

*The general situation in the region is still unsettled, either the Israeli -Palestinian, or Israeli -Lebanese or Israeli- Syrian, or US -Iraqi.

*The Arabs have real pressure cards, and the Arab public opinion is angry of the US policies in respect of Israel and the sanctions.

*The USA has to understand that any pressure on the Arabs would result in explosions that threaten its interests.