Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:03threat in the previous
00:00:15at the end of this
00:00:20May God bless you.
00:00:20is happening abroad energy centers in many The atmosphere of war returns to
00:00:25in this dialogue. No, the region with
00:00:267.5 million Palestinians scattered an American military
00:00:28to go towards such escalation against pressure that occurred on Iran. An escalation that included
00:00:31the entire region after Tehran's attacks that
00:00:35affected a number of Arab countries in an attempt
00:00:39betting on changing regimes from to expand the scope
00:00:41of, of the war. Today, the entire world looks to the Middle
00:00:44East with an eye of anticipation
00:00:47the new data at the international, and worry. This region is considered one of
00:00:55Clinton's visit here was a kind that depend on Iran for energy, the most important regions affecting the international economy and the movement of and reject this global trade. So, in
00:00:57point to such light of these measures,
00:00:58to prevent such has it become impossible to reach agreements
00:01:02that stop the rolling fireball in the Middle
00:01:07self-sufficient militarily in East? All parties in this war
00:01:09may be part of are losers. So, where can this military
00:01:13madness in the region lead us? And why
00:01:16is the language of diplomacy absent at this
00:01:19critical stage? What new things does
00:01:22Washington
00:01:24the cost and push countries to pressure have to impose on the field? And what does
00:01:27demands. Also, at the same Tehran have to confront? at the international And will
00:01:30the search for
00:01:32and we are heading towards the land routes for global there are negative repercussions on trade lose Iran the card of
00:01:32runs, runs, and whoever gets the most
00:01:35the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab? And can
00:01:39international economic crises
00:01:42resolutions. and the approaching date of sovereign state on the midterm elections coup affect Palestinian curb the American
00:01:46administration's desire for further escalation in the region?
00:01:50country. And this is a policy that applies Many questions we ask today about the future
00:01:53the repercussions will be dangerous in the
00:01:53entry into this we now have two factions in of the Middle East in light
00:01:55Lebanon, in Saudi Arabia, in of the heated atmosphere
00:02:00has been raised. Yes. But let's put it to endure and the war rolling towards the unknown. In light of escalating regional tensions,
00:02:03the region returns
00:02:08and circulated to our embassies factions close to Iran in yesterday, there were a number of to a circle of anticipation with renewed American statements regarding Iran. The
00:02:12another framework of stances of US President Donald Trump regarding the possibility of targeting the Iranian
00:02:16energy sector in case of escalating confrontation
00:02:19Professor Mohamed Nader Al-Omari, researcher in the state of conflict ongoing, but it does
00:02:20we cannot go to elections, we go to raised fears of
00:02:21with further the situation sliding towards a broader confrontation
00:02:26to my guest. We continue these conflicts. Such a that could exceed the limits of direct conflict. These statements coincide with
00:02:30with you, and there are many Iranian attacks that targeted targets in a number of Arab
00:02:32likely possibility in the countries, which brought back
00:02:39being partners, and we are the foundation of it goes towards escalation, to make to the forefront fears of and are based on the expansion of the conflict in light of the continued exchange of military and political messages between the parties
00:02:43of the crisis. For its part, the Palestinian
00:02:46leadership reiterated its rejection and strong condemnation
00:02:49of the Iranian attacks that
00:02:51members out of 150 targeted several Arab countries,
00:02:54and even in affirming full solidarity with them, as it considered these
00:02:58attacks a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter
00:03:03by the National Council and also by and the principles and rules of international law. It expressed its full support
00:03:07for its Arab brethren
00:03:10The state is a higher entity than in confronting any escalation or external
00:03:12threat.
00:03:14Although the chances of a comprehensive escalation are still
00:03:18a decree must be issued by present, they remain why we want to go to elections. No, we will go to Council according to also linked to considerations
00:03:21of mutual deterrence and international stances seeking
00:03:25but in to contain the crisis.
00:03:28reality, And between the probabilities of confrontation and the chances of de-escalation, the
00:03:32And we held a long series of region remains in a very sensitive stage,
00:03:36and proceed with such as any uncalculated step could ignite a broad regional confrontation
00:03:40or, conversely, open a new window
00:03:43for diplomatic efforts aimed at
00:03:46preventing a comprehensive explosion.
00:03:59capital, Damascus,
00:04:02Professor Muhammad Nader
00:04:15critical junctures or when the scene is foggy in
00:04:19the region, we go towards analyses.
00:04:22And you, with your master's in international relations,
00:04:27face targeting oil facilities in have your readings and studies about
00:04:29two concerns. Yes, there is concern from the future of the region. Through your observation
00:04:32and follow-up of the course
00:04:34and we must pressure of events, where are we going the Israeli side regarding the election process in today in light of this
00:04:36escalation? I still
00:04:40is the continued involvement of the United States of America adhere to my opinion, which I presented here through my participation
00:04:42with you on more than one occasion, that the region will enter
00:04:47and the repercussions of that a stage of neither war nor peace, and it will remain in this situation, so to speak, until
00:04:52to allow developments occur, whether
00:04:57the Palestinian people to a scenario that our people in Jerusalem each party these developments take place at the level of internal political systems in
00:04:58vision saves the Palestinian the decision-making capitals, or until
00:05:01military resolution is achieved. Until this moment, it is not
00:05:04possible to talk about an absolute military resolution for three reasons.
00:05:09This is the focus of today's these forces present in The first reason: any military resolution requires a transition
00:05:13from the stage of aerial military targeting to occupation
00:05:16or to ground intervention. And this matter is not
00:05:20available at this time due to the high
00:05:24cost of such an issue, the absence of indirect alternatives
00:05:27from forces belonging
00:05:30to levels within the systems,
00:05:33whether in Iran or even at the level of
00:05:37other geographical maps. Consequently, the high cost
00:05:40of ground operations, as well as changing
00:05:44regimes directly, is not available yet.
00:05:48The second point is also
00:05:52within, whether through يعني
00:05:54depleting states at this
00:05:58time, I think, especially concerning Iran, is also not
00:06:01available, and this is what Washington
00:06:05and Israel relied on during the previous period and did not succeed
00:06:09in it. On the contrary, today some estimate that
00:06:12the intervention or the initiation of military action against
00:06:16Iran granted the Iranian regime legitimacy
00:06:19to maintain and preserve the internal situation
00:06:22in a more ambiguous and controlled manner, if I may
00:06:25say, in terms of managing the internal system. Consequently,
00:06:29this is a factor today that can be talked about, that military
00:06:32resolution is not possible. The second factor today is that there is no
00:06:36such thing as what was previously called international coalitions
00:06:40to change regimes. We see that the classic
00:06:43relationship that linked the United States of America
00:06:47with the European Union countries is far away today,
00:06:51and even within NATO, despite the image that
00:06:54brought together the leaders of this alliance and the agreements that took place
00:06:57recently at the Turkey summit, I believe that even
00:07:01at this moment, there is a kind of rift between
00:07:04the United States of America and some NATO
00:07:07countries, and we have heard many statements from
00:07:11Europeans and NATO members saying that this war is
00:07:14an Israeli-American war and not our war. And
00:07:19calls and British statements that confirmed that
00:07:23we are not concerned with this war, and this
00:07:26is the second indicator. The third indicator
00:07:29today, meaning the regional and international conditions and the nature
00:07:32of the complexity of conflicts and the risks
00:07:35that can arise from these conflicts through what
00:07:38can be called conflict management, meaning the creation
00:07:42of conflicts within the conflict itself, this matter
00:07:45will make the cost of any open and direct
00:07:49war very high. Therefore, we are in a stage of no
00:07:52stability, no open war in an
00:07:55absolute sense, and no peace at this time, because any
00:07:59agreement, even if agreements are reached, there are no
00:08:02ingredients for the continuation of these agreements because, until this
00:08:06moment, the nature of influence at the regional level, the nature
00:08:09of the division of interests, has not yet crystallized. There is
00:08:13a very large contradiction and a very large rift in the vision. I mean,
00:08:16in short, I understand from you that there is instability
00:08:19at all levels.
00:08:21It is as if all parties are waiting
00:08:25for something to happen to the other. I mean,
00:08:29today everyone is looking for something to change for
00:08:32the other. Everyone is looking for something that might
00:08:36suddenly occur to the other,
00:08:40there are no changes. I mean, if we look at the general situation,
00:08:44I mean, today, perhaps I am talking about some analyses,
00:08:47perhaps there is a party in Tehran waiting for midterm
00:08:51elections in America that might change the American
00:08:54position. There is another party waiting for the Israeli elections
00:09:00the Israeli position. There are those who look at a conflict within
00:09:03Iran that might change the shape
00:09:06of the Iranian regime from within, and thus exit
00:09:09the war. Everyone is betting on changes, but the reality
00:09:13is different. The reality is a state of stalemate for all parties,
00:09:17and this means that at any moment there can be
00:09:20an expansion of the war. We noticed that the Iranian attacks on Arab
00:09:23countries developed. America threatens
00:09:27to bomb energy centers or energy points or Iranian
00:09:31energy stations, and this could trigger a broader
00:09:34war. How can we understand all these
00:09:37developments? These developments and these points are extremely important. First, here
00:09:41I will go back to the introduction when we said that all parties
00:09:45are losers, with the exception of Israel. The Israeli entity is the one that wants this
00:09:49war for two reasons. The first reason
00:09:53in the region, and the second reason is to fuel the extreme right
00:09:56present within Israel to win the upcoming elections.
00:10:00The second point I referred to, which is
00:10:02waiting, meaning
00:10:06for developments in the political
00:10:10internal affairs of the other parties, is that today some are betting on time. Iran
00:10:14is betting on time to exhaust the United States of America
00:10:17economically, especially since
00:10:21the Middle East, both human forces and military forces,
00:10:34as well as the rising cost of living within the United States of America,
00:10:37will change the mood of the American voter during
00:10:40the upcoming elections. However, even this bet is
00:10:43wrong from Iran's perspective for two reasons. The first reason is that there are
00:10:47among Republicans what can
00:10:50be called conservatives or
00:10:53hardliners who were pushing for war on Iran and overthrowing
00:10:56the regime in Iran. There are also among Democrats those who believe
00:11:00in this, and the proof of that is the passage of more
00:11:04than one project in Congress regarding the war against Iran
00:11:07and the endorsement of this position. The second consideration
00:11:11or the second point
00:11:13is that the division occurring within Iran may be
00:11:17an artificial division between those who, meaning
00:11:20the hardliners who are represented by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and
00:11:24those who demanded reaching a peace agreement.
00:11:27Consequently, the attempt to balance
00:11:30on the tightrope of paradoxes by Iran
00:11:34the Iranian mindset, especially through
00:11:38the escalation we see from the Iranians at times, by
00:11:42targeting Arab countries, as well as targeting the international economy
00:11:45and energy sources to raise
00:11:49the United States of America to agree to the Iranian
00:11:51conditions. This is the closest
00:11:55scenario from the Iranians. The possibility
00:11:58of the situation exploding at the regional level is present, but
00:12:01will we face an explosion through direct
00:12:05wars between powers? This is possible,
00:12:08but we may face another scenario, which is a change in the nature
00:12:12of the conflict. In other words, today some believe
00:12:15that Saudi Arabia's
00:12:18conflict and its inability
00:12:22Iranian provocations and Iranian
00:12:26and Houthi targeting, and its recent participation with the United
00:12:29States of America in targeting some
00:12:32Iraq, is an indication that the scene may go towards
00:12:37conflicts, whether ethnic or sectarian at the regional
00:12:40level. Consequently, this keeps
00:12:44not mean that there will be a direct resolution after
00:12:49scenario is plausible and the Israelis have talked about it more than once,
00:12:53and even the US special envoy to
00:12:56Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrak, stated that these
00:13:00peoples are warring
00:13:02conflicts. Therefore, such indications may be interpreted
00:13:06by some as meaning that the United States of America, if it
00:13:09senses its inability to resolve the war, wants
00:13:13to expand the circle of conflict but indirectly through
00:13:17wars, meaning that it does not want to be the main party in these. Exactly, it fuels
00:13:21these conflicts in one way or another and keeps the region in this state
00:13:25of conflict to exhaust the countries of the region from one side, to guarantee the security
00:13:28of Israel from another side, and from a third side,
00:13:32so that it does not incur or be involved in a zero-sum war, if I may
00:13:36say, so that it does not directly incur direct
00:13:39military costs as a result of these wars,
00:13:42because today there are nearly 50 to
00:13:4670 thousand American soldiers in the Middle
00:13:49East. Therefore, some read the scene as meaning that the direct
00:13:52involvement of these in Iran may have a very high cost,
00:13:56both human and even financial, especially since
00:14:00today the United States of America is alone in terms
00:14:03of human forces and has not yet been able to
00:14:07find a substitute for it at the human level, whether from
00:14:12the Kurdish forces present in northern Iraq, to
00:14:16be the means to pressure the Iranian regime.
00:14:19Consequently, we are facing a scene where
00:14:22the conflict may change from a direct conflict to a proxy
00:14:25war, but that does not mean that it is an open war, but if
00:14:29the United States of America goes to target
00:14:32energy in Iran, I believe that Iran will then feel
00:14:36that it is in a decisive war, and consequently it will
00:14:40seek to raise the cost for everyone. At the heat, we will talk about
00:14:43targeting, meaning energy stations in
00:14:46Iran and what can
00:15:34Al-Omari, a researcher in international relations. We were
00:15:37talking about the problem or risks
00:15:41of targeting energy centers in Iran, and the United
00:15:45States of America had threatened it at the beginning of the war
00:15:48on Iran. Iran also threatened to
00:15:52target
00:15:56countries in the region.
00:15:59And as I said, today, Iranian
00:16:02energy stations are considered by Iran as a national security
00:16:05or a red line for its national security. On the other
00:16:09hand, there are major countries that depend on this.
00:16:12I mean, today, China, for example,
00:16:1520%
00:16:18meaning of China's energy imports
00:16:21come from Iran. There are countries like Pakistan,
00:16:25there are countries like Russia, many countries
00:16:29even Europe partially.
00:16:31I ask about the danger of this step. How
00:16:35can or what can
00:16:39happen after it? I mean, when
00:16:41we talk about targeting energy, we are not talking only about Iran, we
00:16:45are talking about energy sources in the Strait of Hormuz
00:16:48completely, which is considered one of the two main
00:16:52arteries, and also Bab al-Mandab, which Iran has
00:16:55threatened on more than one occasion that it may be closed if that happens.
00:16:59Consequently, we are talking about between 20 to
00:17:0230% of the world's main energy sources or
00:17:05the passage of energy through these regions. In addition to international
00:17:09trade, here we are talking about China, this
00:17:12is a possibility, but we are also talking about the European
00:17:15economy, which is exhausted as a result of the Ukrainian-
00:17:18Russian war, and which depends at a certain stage on alternative energy
00:17:22sources, whether Qatari liquefied gas or
00:17:25also Gulf oil. Therefore, I
00:17:28believe that if the United States of America
00:17:32takes such an option, we will be at a stage, the penultimate
00:17:36escalation stage, because the United States
00:17:39of America may resort at a certain
00:17:42stage, if even targeting energy routes does not succeed,
00:17:45to using tactical nuclear weapons, and this is
00:17:49a likely and very likely
00:17:53matter, especially since the complexity of the scene
00:17:56and the ideology present in the Iranian regime
00:17:59and the inflexibility of the Iranian negotiator may push
00:18:03the United States of America to the final stage of resolution through the use of such
00:18:06weapons. And this is a very
00:18:10final stage, if I may say, especially if
00:18:13Trump or the American administration feels
00:18:17that targeting or paralyzing Iran through energy sources
00:18:20has not succeeded significantly or the cost was very high. I mean,
00:18:24imagine that if energy sources in
00:18:27Iran were targeted, and Iran responded by targeting energy sources in the Gulf states
00:18:31the occupied
00:18:34territories in occupied Palestine, yesterday there was also an attack on oil
00:18:37and vital and chemical facilities in Haifa that will not be
00:18:41out of the picture. Does this mean the return of
00:18:44the Lebanese southern front and Hezbollah's entry also alongside
00:18:48Iran? This is likely. Does this mean that there will be escalating
00:18:51steps from more than one front, and thus we will return to what was
00:18:55called the 40-day war? This is also very likely.
00:18:58However, today, targeting Iranian energy may have many repercussions.
00:19:02The repercussions, first and foremost, are the return of
00:19:06Iran's allies to enter the confrontation because today
00:19:09their interests will be harmed. We will be facing a scenario of a decisive
00:19:13war, if I may say. The second point is the attempt to raise the cost
00:19:16to its highest levels in an attempt to pressure regional countries to exert
00:19:20pressure on the United States of America not to go towards further
00:19:24escalation. The third stage is sending a message to the American
00:19:29of targeting, and therefore it still has options. The fourth
00:19:32point is also to push Iran's allies to intervene directly,
00:19:36and we are talking about Russia and China, who have no
00:19:40interest in the fall of the Iranian regime,
00:19:43as that would cause a geostrategic tremor at the regional
00:19:46and international level.
00:19:49And the fifth and most prominent point is the direct repercussions on
00:19:53energy, meaning that if energy sources in Iran
00:19:57are targeted, from production and storage and so on,
00:20:01there will be an Iranian response. Will we
00:20:04the Gulf, vital areas? Will we face
00:20:08targeting transit routes,
00:20:11the space internet, or what is called underwater cables? Consequently, we will
00:20:14also face events that will cause
00:20:18a tremor in the economy, especially digital
00:20:22communications and so on,
00:20:24on investment activities as well
00:20:28as productivity. Will we face
00:20:34develops towards more fragmented conflicts, if I may say,
00:20:38expanding the circle of wars to include the entire
00:20:41region? This is very likely. Therefore, I
00:20:44believe that Trump's retreat, first and foremost,
00:20:48from implementing this
00:20:53stage was the result of two factors. The first factor
00:20:56is the regional pressure exerted by some regional
00:21:00countries not to go there, because they fully realize that
00:21:03today there is a depletion of anti-
00:21:07defense sources and defensive means.
00:21:11And the second factor is the international
00:21:15the American administration not
00:21:18a direction due to the repercussions on the international economy.
00:21:22But today, I believe, in my personal reading, that the presence
00:21:25of an administration as it is today in the United
00:21:29States of America, and also the Iranian position and the ideology that
00:21:32the Iranian regime relies on, and the existence of
00:21:35Israel's extreme right-wing mindset and the attempt
00:21:39to maintain a state of tension at the regional level and obstruct any
00:21:42agreements, all these three factors
00:21:45may lead at some
00:21:47a development. However, its repercussions
00:21:51and consequences will be very large and cannot
00:21:54be limited in scope. I believe
00:21:58that it will be the beginning of an expanded confrontation, but in multiple forms.
00:22:02I mean, today, if we observe the
00:22:04diplomatic
00:22:06movement in light of the ongoing
00:22:09war, we notice that the American
00:22:13escalation language was less severe before Netanyahu's
00:22:16the visit, the American tone escalated. And it is
00:22:20clear to all observers that Israel has an interest
00:22:23in the continuation of this war, and this
00:22:26interest coincided with the Trump administration. But
00:22:30on the other hand, there is American internal opposition
00:22:33to this war. There is a European boycott of this
00:22:37war. There is Asian resentment towards this
00:22:41war. There is a reluctance from the countries of the region to enter
00:22:44this war. So, we are facing international
00:22:48wills of the extreme right within
00:22:52Israel and the United States of America, in light
00:22:55of the coming changes, the midterm elections, the Israeli
00:22:58elections, the general change
00:23:01in the international mood at the popular and official levels, or at least
00:23:05the parliamentary level in many European countries. Can
00:23:08the United States continue
00:23:11escalation? I mean, the reality will impose itself on a general
00:23:15de-escalation in the region. This depends on three major
00:23:19developments. The first development is the extent of the United
00:23:22States of America's ability, if
00:23:26this escalation qualitative, decisive,
00:23:29and explicit. I mean, the United States of America
00:23:33may go towards very large operations and try to present
00:23:36these operations as the end of this war and push towards a diplomatic
00:23:40approach. And this is Trump's style today under the name of
00:23:44"peace through strength." And we saw this even in Palestine and we saw
00:23:47it also in Venezuela. But I don't think such a
00:23:51thing will succeed with Iran for reasons related to the nature
00:23:54of the regime and also what
00:23:57Iran possesses in terms of offensive
00:24:00and defensive tools. Consequently, if the American
00:24:03administration reads that, as happened at the beginning of the war, that
00:24:07there are reports that may have been presented again by Israeli
00:24:10intelligence, and this, even Trump responded to it by saying that we do not need
00:24:14intelligence reports, we may be facing a development today, that the
00:24:18state institutions
00:24:21may take Israeli intelligence reports seriously
00:24:26a development, especially since there are some leaks
00:24:30from Israel that the Iranian regime
00:24:33has become very weak, and consequently any broad and comprehensive operation
00:24:39regime. Consequently, here, here we will be
00:24:42facing a development like a double-edged
00:24:44sword. If that happens,
00:24:48this will be in favor of Netanyahu and Trump before
00:24:51the two upcoming elections, the American midterm elections
00:24:54and the Israeli legislative elections in early
00:24:57next November. But the negative side of the sword
00:25:01will be theirs if Iran manages to
00:25:04absorb this blow and raise the cost at
00:25:07the regional level. Consequently, here we will also be facing
00:25:11repercussions on the election box in a negative way for both
00:25:14Netanyahu and Trump. Therefore, there is a division
00:25:17within the United States of America in the position. Today,
00:25:21there is a change in the American mood due to the economic situation
00:25:25and also the economic repercussions. This is a factor,
00:25:28but there are also those in the United States who believe that this battle does
00:25:32not concern us at all, and he said
00:25:35that it is Israel's war and talked about that directly.
00:25:38But nevertheless, we are talking about decision-making centers, and these
00:25:42decision-making centers are influenced by pressure
00:25:46groups. Here, as we are talking about
00:25:49forces and also currents within the United States of America
00:25:53that are not interested in this war and are also harmed, there are also pressure
00:25:57groups and interests that have an interest in the continuation of this war. I mean,
00:26:00when we talk about the renewal of signing
00:26:04defense agreements at the regional level worth
00:26:08approximately 4 trillion dollars over three years, we
00:26:11are talking about the interest groups that
00:26:14produce
00:26:16weapons in the United States of America, and these are looking for
00:26:20the continuation of wars and their fueling to sell these
00:26:23weapons. Also, oil companies, I mean, today we are talking that the United
00:26:27States of America has moved in terms of gas and oil production from
00:26:31the fourth and sixth place globally to the first place in that. We
00:26:34are also talking about controlling energy
00:26:38markets through the production of this
00:26:40oil and gas and transforming it into
00:26:44a political tool by the United States of America for countries, whether in raising
00:26:48the cost or even in terms of making decisions.
00:26:52Therefore, today, the wills of countries are present
00:26:56escalation, but do they have the ability to influence
00:27:01a decision? I believe that until this moment, no,
00:27:04for two reasons. Firstly, the United States of America is
00:27:09capabilities. Consequently, this matter
00:27:12can make the American decision independent. And we heard on more than
00:27:16one occasion from Trump that NATO was wrong when it did not participate, and also we
00:27:20participated and we did and we were the ones who
00:27:22decided. The second factor is related to economic control
00:27:28system level. Just as
00:27:31the domestic front, there are also positive repercussions through
00:27:35choking international markets and pushing countries.
00:27:38to deal with the United States of America, whether
00:27:41to secure the passage of energy or even to buy energy from the United
00:27:45States of America, and this is interpreted by some as
00:27:49meaning it can be used as an American pressure tool
00:27:51during the next phase, but
00:28:11for our people in Palestine, in the West Bank
00:28:14stability, peace and the establishment of the Palestinian
00:30:32of the national dream and the milestones
00:30:34that established Palestine's presence in the hearts
00:30:38of its people and the world. The Palestinian National Council
00:30:42remains a part of the story of a people who have never
00:30:45abandoned their identity and rights.
00:30:49The Palestinian National Council,
00:30:52historically and currently, has taken historical
00:30:56decisions that constituted pivotal stations
00:30:59in the journey of the Palestinian cause.
00:31:03What are the most important stations that the National Council
00:31:06considers turning points in its history?
00:31:12meeting with the President of the National Council,
00:31:15Mr. Rawhi Fattouh.
00:31:41of the previous meeting, we will talk about
00:31:46these sessions of the Palestinian National Council,
00:31:49which, as we said,
00:31:51constitute something new
00:31:55in the history of the Palestinian cause,
00:31:59given
00:32:02regional, and national
00:32:05levels. We are now after the advent of the Palestinian
00:32:09National Authority
00:32:12to the homeland. There
00:32:15are many changes, many achievements,
00:32:18and many challenges. Also,
00:32:21the Palestinian National Council
00:32:24had the priority in making all these decisions.
00:32:27How was this session in 1996 in
00:32:31Gaza? Look, the National Council
00:32:34is the parliament of the entire
00:32:36Palestinian people.
00:32:39It represents the Palestinian people everywhere in the homeland and abroad, and as I explained
00:32:43to you earlier, it represents the majority.
00:32:45After returning to the homeland, after returning to the homeland,
00:32:49we held elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council and elected
00:32:5288 members at that time, who formed the Palestinian
00:32:55Legislative Council of the Palestinian National Authority.
00:32:58We considered these 88 members to be the complementary members
00:33:02of the homeland's share in the Palestinian National Council.
00:33:05Therefore, here, a national council was truly established
00:33:09for the first time, complete with all its components, meaning
00:33:13Palestinian factions,
00:33:15Palestinian unions, independent personalities, and the homeland from within
00:33:19through the Legislative Council. And indeed, at that
00:33:22time, may God have mercy on Sheikh Abdul Hamid Al-Sayeh,
00:33:26he passed away, and we elected brother
00:33:29Salim Al-Za'noun, may God have mercy on him, as President of the National
00:33:32Council in Gaza, where we held the first meeting.
00:33:36It was the first time, after
00:33:39the June defeat and after
00:33:42the Israeli occupation and agreements, that
00:33:45the Palestinian National Council convened on Palestinian land in
00:33:49Gaza, in the Gaza Strip. At that time, we elected the Executive
00:33:52Committee, and the Executive Committee forms the government of
00:33:56the entire Palestinian people in the homeland and the diaspora. It is the
00:33:59supreme leadership of the Palestinian people, and the head of the Executive
00:34:02Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization is also the supreme President
00:34:06of the Palestinian people. However, later, when we declared the Declaration of Independence,
00:34:09we had a President of the State elected by the National
00:34:12Council or the Central Council. Now,
00:34:15Brother Abu Mazen is the President of the State and is elected
00:34:18the Central Council. His election is confirmed.
00:34:21Why?
00:34:25the organization, but when the state materializes on the ground, the role
00:34:29of the state becomes more important than the role of the PLO. However, our system is still the system
00:34:33of the PLO, yes. As long as the political system is the system of the
00:34:37PLO, then the National Council sets
00:34:40policies for the Executive Committee to implement them on
00:34:43the ground for the entire Palestinian people. So, the session was very
00:34:47important and created an attractive environment, because the Oslo
00:34:50Agreement,
00:34:52by the way, created an attractive environment for the land and for the return
00:34:55of people. And if we count the people from 1994
00:34:58until today, despite all the Israeli
00:35:02منع (prevention) after the second Intifada,
00:35:05and especially after Hamas's division from
00:35:09all Palestinians, more than 1.8 million Palestinians have returned.
00:35:12اكثر من مليون و 80000 فلسطيني
00:35:15So what was politically created was the creation
00:35:19of an attractive environment and the return of people. Today,
00:35:22unfortunately, there is a repulsive environment in the Gaza
00:35:25Strip. True, and I,
00:35:28to diagnose matters as they are, after the Hamas coup in
00:35:322007, more than 40,000 young Palestinians
00:35:35migrated from the Gaza Strip.
00:35:39So Hamas created a repulsive environment from the Gaza Strip,
00:35:42which the National Authority and the movement
00:35:56created. We are still paying the price, we are still paying the price, and what is happening in Gaza now, we are paying its price as a result of this division.
00:35:59Therefore, my dear sister, the Palestinian
00:36:02National Council's stations were prominent stations and had
00:36:06and created transformations and created
00:36:09new policies that helped
00:36:12continue their struggle to obtain their right to self-determination
00:36:16and establish an independent state. From here, the 1996
00:36:18session was a very important session,
00:36:22especially since it was held in the homeland, and parliamentary life continued
00:36:26within the framework of the National Council in a continuous and organized manner until this moment.
00:36:29Yes, there was a visit by President
00:36:33Clinton at an important stage that also gave
00:36:36a great political momentum,
00:36:39and the National Council also had this
00:36:421998 session. No, it was an ordinary session.
00:36:46In 1998, the National
00:36:49Council was fully assembled in the Gaza Strip
00:36:53to welcome President Clinton. The issue of the National
00:36:56Charter was on the agenda at that time, and indeed, we overcame
00:37:00this issue, and
00:37:03it was also a kind of confirmation of the American-Palestinian relationship that
00:37:06was created after the Oslo Agreement. Because if I remind you, on
00:37:09September 13, 1993,
00:37:13the Oslo Agreement was signed in the White House on
00:37:17an American paper, on an American paper. Therefore,
00:37:22of recognition of the Palestinian National Authority, which was
00:37:26on its way to statehood. It was supposed that in May
00:37:291999, the Palestinian state would be established,
00:37:33but as you know, after Rabin's
00:37:35assassination, Israel overturned
00:37:39all the Oslo agreements. Yes, these
00:37:42compulsory passages that
00:37:46the Palestinian people were forced to go through
00:37:50continued with invasions
00:37:53and until the coup
00:37:55that occurred. You spoke
00:37:59eloquently about what happened,
00:38:01but how did this
00:38:07political life?
00:38:10Undoubtedly, the coup, as they say, halted
00:38:13all our political development, given that
00:38:19the homeland: Gaza is controlled by Hamas,
00:38:22and therefore, whoever wants to negotiate with us, the question of who you represent
00:38:28this way: despite all the practices that have occurred and that
00:38:32Hamas continues to commit in the Gaza Strip,
00:38:35which led to what it led to in terms
00:38:38of repercussions, especially after October 7, the repercussions for which we are paying the price today,
00:38:41the international community still adheres to the Palestine Liberation Organization
00:38:45and the Palestinian National Authority as the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian
00:38:48people. But let's discuss, I mean, three days ago
00:38:51Hamas issued a statement wondering how
00:38:55the President issues decrees, amends laws, and calls for elections
00:38:58without consulting them. Well, Hamas, when you do what you do, who do you consult?
00:39:02Now Hamas negotiates without us
00:39:07the Palestinian people. We are the foundation of the Palestinian leadership. We are the foundation of the Palestinian
00:39:10components. Far from us, you discuss and negotiate,
00:39:14and you take the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip hostage for your
00:39:17personal interests, and you blame us? Blame yourselves first. If anyone has the right to
00:39:21criticize, it is us who criticize Hamas for what it has brought upon our
00:39:25Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. In the Gaza Strip now, our people are suffering from famine,
00:39:29from disease, from everything. There is no drinking water,
00:39:32no medicine, nothing. And Hamas is still
00:39:36discussing its own fate, and not
00:39:39the fate of the Palestinian people. And they ask us
00:39:43elections. We will go to elections, and whoever wants to walk with us is welcome.
00:39:47Whoever doesn't want to walk with us, may God be with them. We are going to legislative
00:39:50elections and National Council elections, and we are going to general
00:39:54elections, despite all the pressures on us. We have
00:39:57a financial siege, a political siege, an economic siege, and a siege from all sides.
00:40:01And yet, we continue. These barriers that you see
00:40:05and the expanding settlements and the daily suffering of our farmers
00:40:08and our people everywhere in the West Bank and Jerusalem, why? Because we
00:40:12are steadfast on the land and we want to achieve the Palestinian state. Hamas only discusses
00:40:16Hamas. It is now discussing
00:40:19despite Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, and all the mediators,
00:40:23and it has taken the Palestinian people to another angle,
00:40:26which is that all these agreements were brought to us by Hamas.
00:40:30And yet, Hamas
00:40:32is stubborn in its position, and the fate of our people is dying, unfortunately. Our
00:40:36people in Gaza are dying and starving in Gaza. And until now,
00:40:40unfortunately, unfortunately, we still have a group
00:40:43from the Red Cross that is still discussing this issue. No,
00:40:47Hamas's issue is an issue that we must confront. Either Hamas
00:40:50truly returns to the Palestinian national consensus within the framework of a Palestinian
00:40:54national program that dictates the Palestinian situation, and the Palestinian people are not
00:40:57the ones who dictate it. So, in this case, we do not reach
00:41:01a national dialogue, but rather a national dialogue with its vision,
00:41:05not a national dialogue with the vision of all Palestinians, that we are,
00:41:08okay, proposing peaceful popular resistance because that's all we can do. That's all
00:41:12we can do now. So, welcome, if you want a political program, come with us.
00:41:16Come with us. We are not asking you to be part of us. No, we want you to be part of us,
00:41:20but we agree on a comprehensive Palestinian vision. This Palestinian
00:41:25situation from loss and destruction. If Hamas bets on being included
00:41:29in the Iranian-
00:41:33American dialogue, it is mistaken. Hezbollah was included. Hezbollah
00:41:37became part of the equation. Lebanon became part of the equation.
00:41:48to all Palestinians and involve all Palestinians, not to negotiate,
00:41:51not to take us to its program. Unfortunately,
00:41:55unfortunately, I blame, I clearly blame
00:41:59our brothers in the Palestinian factions, who are part of
00:42:02the PLO, for going with Hamas
00:42:05they must have a clear stance. Protecting your people is more important
00:42:09than protecting individuals. Therefore,
00:42:17no, this talk should not be tolerated. We must
00:42:21confront it with every meaning of the word.
00:42:25Even the mediators who sympathize with them
00:42:28have started blaming them, haven't they? Yes, this
00:42:32is not how the conflict
00:42:34goes. The Palestinian situation. If they want to
00:42:37be partners in the general Palestinian situation in a Palestinian
00:42:41national program drawn up by the PLO, let them come. We
00:42:45ask them to recognize the PLO as the sole legitimate representative. The whole world
00:42:48recognizes it as the sole legitimate representative. Why don't you, Hamas, recognize
00:42:52it as the sole legitimate representative? We say adherence to international
00:42:55legitimacy resolutions. International legitimacy resolutions are in our favor.
00:42:58Resolution 2334. Please discuss it, letter by
00:43:02letter and word by word. See what
00:43:05fulfills all your
00:43:07time, we say that there are commitments for the state of
00:43:10Palestine. Commitments for the PLO. We are not
00:43:14asking you to recognize Israel. We are not telling you to recognize Israel, but
00:43:17at least recognize international
00:43:25should not be, we should not surrender to
00:43:29these destructive policies, unfortunately,
00:43:32destructive and futile. No, we have a clear vision that unites all
00:43:36Palestinians. Unfortunately, those who want to have a vision and want to be
00:43:40with Hamas and be subservient to Hamas, may God be with them. But this way,
00:44:10facts that our audience
00:44:13and everyone who
00:44:16is keen on Palestinian nationalism
00:44:20and Palestinian representation should know.
00:44:23We are now talking about this National
00:44:27Council, with all that it represents
00:44:29for Palestinians, for all Palestinians.
00:44:33And we are on the verge of
00:44:36elections, and a decree has been
00:44:40issued for these elections. What
00:44:43is happening now? Your role as the Palestinian National Council
00:44:46means that there was an initiative by His Excellency President
00:44:50Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen that we hold elections for the Palestinian National
00:44:55the law that all factions of the PLO, including
00:44:59Hamas, passed in 2013. Yes,
00:45:02and a committee was formed to prepare
00:45:06for the elections of the Palestinian National Council, headed by me as the President of the National Council.
00:45:12meetings and we carried out, I mean,
00:45:14a review and revision of the law that the factions passed in
00:45:182013 and made some amendments to it.
00:45:21This was also accompanied by the formation of a committee to draft the constitution, the constitution
00:45:25of the State of Palestine, which the committee also completed
00:45:31the platform, and also
00:45:34the public, from the Palestinian people. Now we have completed all
00:45:38the work. The agreement between all factions in
00:45:422013 was that the number of members of the National Council
00:45:45would be 350. We agreed that there would be 150 members
00:45:49for the diaspora states and 200 members
00:45:51for the interior. The 200 members constitute the share
00:45:55of the interior, and at the same time, they are the same 200 members who are members
00:45:59of the Legislative Council of the Palestinian National
00:46:01Authority.
00:46:04Until now, the constitution has not been put to a referendum,
00:46:07but we are still governed by the Basic
00:46:10Law that was passed by the First Legislative Council
00:46:13and approved by President Abu Ammar in 2002.
00:46:16This is what governs us now, the Basic
00:46:19Law. So, in light of that, the President also
00:46:23issued, I mean, a decision by law with amendments to
00:46:26Election Law No. 1 of 2007 with several articles
00:46:30so that there would be integration
00:46:34between the National Council Election
00:46:36Law and the general election law for the National Authority.
00:46:52The threshold in the Legislative Law is 2%,
00:46:56and the threshold in the National Council is 1%. We unified
00:46:59it to 1%. Yes, the women's quota was 20% in the Legislative
00:47:02Law and 30% in the National Council.
00:47:05We unified it to 30%. So, there
00:47:09is a unification in concepts. But what
00:47:13is a scattered Palestinian community. We have
00:47:18around the world. Therefore, there are large Palestinian communities. For example,
00:47:22now we have in the Arab
00:47:25countries, in Egypt, for example, we have half a million Palestinians, and they get
00:47:2815 members out of the 150. Yes. So how do we
00:47:31get them? We have three ways. Either they come
00:47:35through direct election if the state allows us. In
00:47:39this case, we open voter registration in embassies,
00:47:42and they come, and we give them two weeks for Palestinians
00:47:46to register as voters and we hold
00:47:48elections if the state allows us. But if the state does not
00:47:52allow it, then in this case, we go to what we call
00:47:55the electoral college. This college also selects from
00:47:59within the college Palestinian factions, unions,
00:48:02national figures, associations, businessmen,
00:48:05dignitaries. We form this electoral
00:48:09gathering or electoral college, and
00:48:12the electoral college can reach 500 people in a country like,
00:48:15for example, Egypt. These agree on the 15
00:48:19by election. Yes, yes. I mean, whoever
00:48:24votes becomes one of the 15. If we can't hold
00:48:27elections and can't form an electoral college,
00:48:30we agree after consulting the popular sentiment, meaning
00:48:34we consult the Palestinian community in that
00:48:37country and agree on the selection of community representatives in that
00:48:42to everyone, whether in the United States of America, in Europe, in Syria, in
00:48:48the UAE, in Latin America. I mean, all these policies,
00:48:51we have formed groups or delegations
00:48:54for us now. We have formed them
00:48:57and received the approval of the President
00:49:00abroad to prepare everything.
00:49:03This is through your communication with the state
00:49:07for holding elections and your communication with the community in case
00:49:12the electoral college, and you should
00:49:15have all the required logistical matters
00:49:19ready. And after completing all these procedures, and they have, of course,
00:49:22two weeks. After two weeks, we start requesting from those who are
00:49:26ready, we send them the delegation. Those who are not ready, we postpone
00:49:29until they are fully ready to send
00:49:33the delegation. All this opportunity is by the end of next
00:49:36August, which is August.
00:49:39We must have 130
00:49:44abroad. We postponed the United States of America due to reasons within
00:49:47the American arena. Therefore, we will have completed the share
00:49:50of abroad. The share of the interior remains. The share of the interior,
00:49:54the President announced in a previous decree the elections in November
00:49:57next. We also requested from the Central Elections Commission,
00:50:01His Excellency the President requested from the meeting committee to prepare
00:50:03all the necessary things for the electoral process,
00:50:07and 90 days before the elections,
00:50:10His Excellency the President specifying the day, and at the same
00:50:14time, he calls upon the Palestinian people
00:50:17for elections of the members of the Palestinian
00:50:20Legislative Council, who are by definition members of the
00:50:24Palestinian National Council from the share of the homeland. This is the mechanism that
00:50:27we are working on now. We, I mean, hope that by the end
00:50:31of this year, we will have a Legislative Council
00:50:34for the State of Palestine or for the Palestinian Authority,
00:50:38and at the same time, we will have a National Council for all Palestinians all
00:50:41over the world. We hope so, and we are indeed working on this.
00:50:45I am tasked, actually, with this
00:50:47direction by President and Hussein al-Sheikh
00:50:50is tasked with following up on the matter with my brothers in the Executive Committee
00:50:54of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the members of the Follow-up
00:50:58the President. They are tasked with following up on these procedures,
00:51:02and I personally, I mean, daily, I follow up on this matter
00:51:05within the task entrusted to me, and I hope that
00:51:08we will finish forming the external part before
00:51:11the end of August, and I also hope that we will go
00:51:15in November next to the elections of the Legislative
00:51:18Council. But there are
00:51:23Jerusalem, and we must
00:51:26the international community, because the international community has indeed, and they spoke to me,
00:51:30I mean, as President of the National Council, they spoke to me from more than one
00:51:34international parliamentary gathering, and they welcome the idea and the call
00:51:37for parliamentary elections in Palestine. There must
00:51:41be pressure from them on Israel
00:51:46to exercise their right to vote in the city of Jerusalem.
00:51:50And also, the situation in the Gaza Strip. I mean, the security situation in the Gaza Strip
00:51:53is still complex, and at the same time, we fear that there might be
00:51:57obstruction either from local forces or from the Israeli
00:51:59side to obstruct the elections. We are moving towards exercising
00:52:03all pressure because the entire community
00:52:06is asking us to revitalize Palestinian parliamentary life
00:52:23people have historically yearned
00:52:26to live a democratic life within a free and fair electoral
00:52:29process and within parliamentary practices
00:52:33as well. Through my first experience, when I was President
00:52:37of the Legislative Council, I realized the value and importance
00:52:41of our Palestinian people's interest in Palestinian legislative life,
00:52:44and how there was indeed a wide discussion on enacting
00:52:48the laws and legislations we were working on, and a great welcome for them. This parliamentary
00:52:52life must be restored now with
00:52:55full force. And I indeed call on
00:52:58our Palestinian people to care and to integrate into the upcoming
00:53:01elections directly and...
00:53:05If we indeed succeeded in restoring true
00:53:08parliamentary life within the framework of the Legislative
00:53:11and National Council to the entire international community, it will salute
00:53:15us and respect us, because this is the democratic life we want, and we,
00:53:18in our policies, in fact, and in our policies,
00:53:22historically, we believe in democratic life and its practice
00:53:25correctly. I call on our people to pay attention to the issue
00:53:28of the National Council abroad and at home, and I also ask our people
00:53:32to pay attention to the issue of the National Council, I mean the Legislative Council,
00:53:37state, and this state will come, will come, will come,
00:53:40an independent, free, fully
00:53:44its land with East Jerusalem as its capital, whether anyone likes it or not,