Fatah/PA leader Sha'ath: "We are not abandoning armed resistance"

For the past several days, Fatah leader Nabil Sha'ath has been in Gaza working on unification with Hamas.

In an interview there, he was asked about Hamas' position that armed resistance is still necessary.

"If you wish to end the siege on the Gaza Strip you must agreed with the program of President Abu Mazen which calls for peaceful resistance to achieve the Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza on the border of 1967 and its capital Jerusalem."

In response to Hamas's rejection of the option of popular resistance and adherence to armed resistance, he said Hamas was divided on this issue, and Khaled Meshaal, the Hamas political leader spoke of the popular struggle in Cairo at length and Hamas went to Khartoum to agree to that.

Shaath said the adoption of the popular resistance does not mean giving up the armed struggle ...international law and morality gives the right of armed resistance, but it is better to resist the military and not attack civilians, pointing out at this time that any use of armed struggle would be more costly than its results, expressing his belief that Hamas agrees.

He said he did not ask the Hamas movement to abandon the option of armed resistance which is a right, and President Abu Mazen said in a statement that all options are open.

Shaath said that at this time popular resistance is preferable in addition with political pressure on Israel such as attempts to gain statehood at the UN.

See? Unity stands a chance - as long as Fatah keeps moving closer to Hamas' positions!

Don't expect the Western media to make a big deal over the fact that the "moderate" Fatah is saying pretty much what Hamas says about "armed resistance."