- ActivitesPalestine
- December 21, 2007
- 3 minutes read
Hamas Holds Huge Popular Festival Marking 20th Anniversary
Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas organized on Saturday, Dec, 15th, 2007, a huge popular festival, the biggest in Palestinian territories for decades according decades, to mark the twentieth anniversary of establishing it.
The movement”s green flags were fluttering all over the Katiba Square , a main Gaza Strip square, where no less than 300 thousand persons gathered to mark the event.
Hamas movement managed through this festival to send several political messages domestically and internationally. This huge gathering of Hamas supporters confirm that it still maintains its huge popularity, dismissing allegations that its popularity retreated, said political analysts .
In a related context, Israeli media called on Israeli government to necessarily initiate a dialogue holding with Hamas, confirming that all attempts to eliminate or marginalize Hamas have failed in front of its huge popularity. This was stressed by all these huge crowds that participated in Hamas anniversary festival. This huge presence among people on the part of Hamas Movement ” proves that the movement is still powerful, still has the real power over Gaza “, said correspondent of the Israeli TV Channel 10.
Khalid Mashaal, Hamas politburo chief, declared in a TV speech on Friday, Dec, 14th, 2007, that the Palestinian people can initiate ” a third and fourth Intifada (popular uprising) until victory comes”.
Mashaal highlighted the movement”s attitude towards Israeli Occupation of rejecting to scrap resistance. “This is our real option and our winning card that makes the enemy stops its stubbornness”.
For his part, ousted Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya stressed during the festival that realizing the Palestinian aspirations will not take place ” through photo ops, offering concessions, exchanging kisses and smiles or sitting on negotiation tables ” in reference to the US-hosted Annapolis conference held last month and which the U.S. refused to allow Hamas to take part in it.
Haniya called again in his speech for holding an inter-Palestinian dialogue between Palestinian factions to reach reconciliation.
Haniya hinted also that Hamas popularity is continuously mushrooming. This increase was evident in the huge gathering that showed its defiance to the blockade on Gaza Strip, imposed since last June.
Hamas movement was first established on December, 14th, 1987. Its co-founder sheikh Ahmed Yaseen was killed in an Israeli raid in 2004. Twenty years after its establishment, Hamas Movement is still the most popular movement in the State of Palestine.