The Hamas terror organization condemned warming relations between Israel and Arab states, calling normalizing diplomatic ties with the Jewish state “treason.”
By Arye Green, TPS
Hamas spokesperson Abdul-Latif al-Qanua released a statement on Sunday in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tweet in which he welcomed the closer relations between Israel and many Arab states.
Netanyahu retweeted a tweet by Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in which he shared an article from the UK’s Spectator, titled “Islam’s reformation: an Arab-Israeli alliance is taking shape in the Middle East.” The article describes the strengthening relations between Israel and some Arab states.
Al-Qanua said that the Israeli announcement is “a reflection of how deep these ties have gone, and the level some Arab regimes have sunk to.” He claimed that the normalization of Arab states’ ties with Israel constitutes treason, and would likely harm the “Palestinian problem.”
He called on Arab countries to lead the way in charging “Israeli war criminals” at the International Criminal Court (ICC), as opposed to strengthening relations Israel, which constitutes “an illegal entity,” according to the Hamas spokesperson.
Al-Qanua referred to ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s statement from Friday that after the conclusion of a preliminary examination, indicating that she has decided to launch an investigation against Israel for alleged war crimes.
Hamas is a designated terrorist organization in many places, including Israel, the US and the European Union. The organization is an offshoot of the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood and has vowed to destroy Israel. Hamas’ charter rejects a two-state solution with Israel, envisaging no peaceful settlement of the conflict apart from jihad, a holy war against the Jewish state.
Israel’s ties with several Arab countries have significantly advanced in recent years, openly and covertly. Shared strategic interests, not least of all confronting Iran’s agression in the region, have brought both sides to the table.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz in July attended a United Nations Climate Summit in Abu Dhabi, during which he met a high-ranking United Arab Emirates (UAE) official. This was the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the Arab country.
He visited Oman in November 2018, and his trip came two weeks after Netanyahu visited the country and met with its ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said. It was the first trip made by an Israeli prime minister since Shimon Peres in 1996.
In October, Katz revealed that Israel is in the process of working on a non-aggression pact with several Arab states in the Middle East to face the common threat emanating from Iran.