Following several assurances by Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas in recent days that his organization’s planned merger with the Islamist terror militia Hamas would not mean the PA becoming a terror-supporting entity, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal gave a fiery speech Wednesday in which he declared “our path is resistance and the rifle, and our choice is jihad!” While expressing high hopes for the collation arrangement with the PA, Mashaal added that “there is no past or future without jihad and resistance. Jihad is our path.” An Israeli official responded to the remarks by saying that they “speak for themselves and expose the myth that Hamas has somehow changed or moderated its positions. It is clear that Palestinian leaders cannot come to Israel and say they want peace if they forge an alliance with these killers.” Read More
