Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh gave a speech to 3000 chanting Egyptians in the Al Azhar mosque in Cairo today.Haniyeh said that the Egyptian revolution and the Arab spring "is the beginning of the liberation of Palestine" adding that "Palestine will be liberated through Egypt."
Haniyeh said that Hamas and the Palestinian government in Gaza are subjected to strong pressure to recognize the state of Israel, saying, "We will never recognize Israel and the resistance will continue as long as the occupation continues."
Hamas considers all of Israel to be "occupied."
The congregants in the mosque and its courtyard started chanting, saying, "the commander Ismail said he will not recognize Israel" and "We go to Al Quds, martyrs in the millions."
Haniyeh continued, saying,"Our hope is not only the independence of Palestine, but the independence of the Islamic nation [where we will] put an end to the current situation of political wilderness, cultural and foreign interference and encroachment of the Zionists."
He said that there was a Zionist plot for the Judaization of Jerusalem which wrested it from the Arab and Muslim world it belongs to, calling on Muslims to support Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem.
Hundreds of congregants chanted in response, saying, 'Khaybar Khaybar oh Jews, the army of Mohammed will return," and "We, sons of Hassan al-Banna .. Islam! Islam!" (Hassan al-Banna was the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood.)
No doubt, MEMRI will have a better translation sometime next week.