‘Moderate’ Palestinian Leader: ‘If We Had a Nuke, We’d Have Used It Today'

[PteX]

Senior Palestinian Authority official Jibril Rajoub (Courtesy: Palestinian Media Watch)

Jibril Rajoub, a senior Palestinian Authority official who is frequently characterized as a "moderate" in both the Western and Israeli media, said on Lebanese television that if the Palestinians had a nuclear weapon they would have nuked Israel "this morning."

Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) discovered and translated to English the interview Rajoub gave to Lebanon's Al Mayadeen TV on April 30. Rajoub also posted the video clip to his own Facebook page, according to PMW.

When the interviewer referred to peace talks with Israel as "the negotiations game," Rajoub suggested that the Palestinian Authority [PA] engages in negotiations because it does not have the military strength to defeat Israel by force.

"I swear that if we had a nuke, we'd have used it this very morning," he said.

He also said the Palestinian Authority would consider returning to the negotiating table only if Israel agrees to a list of Palestinian preconditions including freezing construction in Jerusalem, in West Bank settlements and freeing Palestinian prisoners, some of whom are serving sentences for terrorist acts.

Rajoub is President of the Palestine Olympic Committee and serves as Deputy Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee.

Israel Today explains why Rajoub's nuclear threat strikes such a sensitive chord for Israelis, particularly in light of Iran's nuclear quest:

There is a very good reason for Israel taking the Iran nuclear threat so seriously. There are a lot of people in this region, many of them holding positions of authority, who would like nothing more than to use a nuclear weapon against Israel, the consequences be damned.[...]

This revelation validates one of Israel's chief concerns in the peace process - that in the absence of actually being educated for peace and coexistence, the inhabitants of an independent Palestinian state will, as a first order of business, work toward acquiring the military means to engage in renewed warfare against Israel.

In his Palestine Olympic Committee capacity last summer, Rajoub thanked International Olympic Committee officials for agreeing to not honor during the opening ceremony in London the 11 Israeli athletes slain during the 1972 Munich Olympics by Palestinian terrorists.

In the 1970s and 80s, Rajoub served 17 years in Israeli prison for terrorist activity.

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik of PMW write:

Senior PA officials often state that avoiding violent confrontation or war with Israel is only temporarily, due to the PA's inability to take on such a conflict. They claim that negotiations with Israel are the right course of action for now, because conditions are not right for violence.

[Palestinian Authority President] Mahmoud Abbas himself has also said on several occasions that if the Arab nations would begin a war against Israel, "Palestine" would join them.

According to the Commentator, a pro-Israel website, Rajoub is a signatory to the Geneva Initiative, a project that promotes a two-state solution. The group's tagline is "An Israeli-Palestinian Initiative to End the Conflict."

Its mission statement reads in part, "After a century of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, the Geneva Initiative offers a real and mutually agreed upon possibility for ending the conflict between the two sides and obtaining a mutually acceptable peace that guarantees the vital national interests of both sides."

Rajoub was featured several years ago in a video clip promoting the campaign, where he stated "I am your partner" in Hebrew.

"There is a consensus in the Arab world to recognize the existence of Israel in return for an end to occupation," he added then.

The Commentator provided translation of more excerpts from Rajoub's Lebanese TV interview: "If you ask me as a Palestinian, I say -- our battle is with the Israeli occupation. Our main enemy, not [just] as Palestinians but as Arabs and Muslims, is Israel and the Israeli occupation."

"If [Arab] mobilization would begin for the liberation of Jerusalem; if money [would be spent] and swords drawn in the face of the Zionist enemy, that would be great," Rajoub said according to the Commentator.

Here is the excerpt of the Rajoub interview that PMW translated:

Lebanese TV host: "The American [John Kerry] came to the PA. They are talking about reviving negotiations, about getting back to the table with the Israelis... Will you go back to the negotiations game?"

Jibril Rajoub: "There is no going back to negotiations unless the source of authority is the international resolutions, with a time frame and with the freezing of all unilateral Israeli steps: Jerusalem, the fence, settlements and prisoners."

Host: "You've heard Israel's refusal."

Jibril Rajoub: "That doesn't matter. Listen. We as yet don't have a nuke, but I swear that if we had a nuke, we'd have used it this very morning."

[Al-Mayadeen TV (Lebanon), April 30, 2013]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_GcZLMSGk4


Moderate Palestinian Leader Swears: 'If We Had a Nuke, We'd Have Used It This Very Morning'

 

[Fuego]

May be this is why US want to confiscate pak nukes. In pak, there are so many Palestine supporters who can slip these nukes to Palestine.

The world community should take this seriously. Some war mongers are out of control.

 

[Parul]

Like nothing more than to use a nuclear weapon against Israel, the consequences be damned" - Such is the mindset of a people who would destroy the very land they are seeking to regain. To Nuke Israel is to obliterate the very thing you are fighting for and pollute it with radiation for thousands of years. That is the very nature of Stupidity. Destroy, kill, and ruin.

 

[PteX]

He was simply being honest. For those who doubted what exactly Israel was dealing with out "peace partners".

 

[khanboy007]

May be this is why US want to confiscate pak nukes. In pak, there are so many Palestine supporters who can slip these nukes to Palestine.

The world community should take this seriously. Some war mongers are out of control.

actions speak louder than words pal...........our nukes aint goin to a country where even birds dont have space to fly and a region dominated by petrodollars !!!!

here is a pic on who considers palestine as a state INDIA too accepts it so there is a possibility of india handing the nukes the same as ours, as your country houses almost equivalent no of muslims as ours

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

They consider Israel to be their own land, right?

Now they want to nuke their own land?

And contaminate the entire area with radiation? What kind of logic is this.

 

[third eye]

"I swear that if we had a nuke, we'd have used it this very morning," he said.[/U]

Great thoughts .

Wonder if he knows that after having used it ' this morning' before the same afternoon he & his ilk would also be a part of history - incinerated and smouldering.

Strength lies not in possessing a nuclear weapon. It lies in possessing one and exercising restraint in the face of extreme provocation and not to use it first.

Once used by the adversary in any form or size then open all doors and let not a blade of grass grow on enemy land for decades.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Also, Israel has the "Samson option".

Which basically means they will use their considerable nuclear arsenal to annihilate the entire Middle Eastern region in response to a nuclear attack on Israeli soil.

And they'll do it too. If there is any nuclear threat in the world that is believable, this is one of them.

I don't agree with such a doctrine. But I do believe they will do it.

 

[GoodBoy]

actions speak louder than words pal...........our nukes aint goin to a country where even birds dont have space to fly and a region dominated by petrodollars !!!!

here is a pic on who considers palestine as a state INDIA too accepts it so there is a possibility of india handing the nukes the same as ours, as your country houses almost equivalent no of muslims as ours

India is a responsible country which has made nukes for deterrence and has a no-first-attack policy.Whereas Pakistan is famous for acquiring nukes for the purpose of offensive and blackmailing and threatening nuke attacks at the drop of hat.

And secondly India believes more in humanity rather than religion and our policies is NOT based on religion or the so called fake "muslim brotherhood" which muslim countries have for each other.The so called "muslim brotherhood" is more of a joke since all are fighting each other and divided in various factions.

So all your assumptions are WRONG but this is a reflection of typical Pakistani mindset which starts and ends with religion.

 

[Banu Umayyah]

He was simply being honest. For those who doubted what exactly Israel was dealing with out "peace partners".

She was subtly accusing him of being in bed with Israel, which Fatah people really hate because its partially true. So he was defensive and overreacted.
Clearly he didn't mean it.
Unlike Israel in 73 when you almost nuked Egypt because you were losing the war.

 

[Fuego]

actions speak louder than words pal...........our nukes aint goin to a country where even birds dont have space to fly and a region dominated by petrodollars !!!!

here is a pic on who considers palestine as a state INDIA too accepts it so there is a possibility of india handing the nukes the same as ours, as your country houses almost equivalent no of muslims as ours

We accept Palestine as a state does not mean we are going to give them Nukes. While you have so many fundamentalists in your elite class who hate Israel to the core. Its not a secret that US is concerned for your nukes. That was the first basis of my post.

Secondly, we have no first use policy. We are not going to use it first for ourselves, then what makes you think that we're gonna give them to somebody to use it "first?" This was the second basis of my post.

Further, you have no relationship with Israel, but we do. We are the most Israeli favored country in the world. So obviously we dont want Israel to be nuked. This is not the case with you. This was my third basis.

And I heard we have more Muslims than you? if I'm not wrong?

 

[$@rJen]

This is the mentality of Palestinians.... Same goes for most of the middle eastern countries...if they had nukes they would've nuked Israel long ago, cause they can't win them in conventional war.... In 48&65 Arabs main goal was the extermination of Israel and Jews...this is why there's no peace in middle east and Israel has to do everything it can to keep the enemy in check..... That explains the bombing in Syria Iraq and Lebanon .....

Anyway this guy so busted, I'm damn sure he will come under the minds of mossad and in future we can see him assassinated

 

[Developereo]

Israel routinely uses the concept of "disproportionate response". Why shouldn't the other side do the same?

The only reason Israel gets away with its thuggery -- aside from the media control -- is because the other side lacks the ability to escalate the situation.

 

[khanboy007]

India is a responsible country which has made nukes for deterrence and has a no-first-attack policy.Whereas Pakistan is famous for acquiring nukes for the purpose of offensive and blackmailing and threatening nuke attacks at the drop of hat.

And secondly India believes more in humanity rather than religion and our policies is NOT based on religion or the so called fake "muslim brotherhood" which muslim countries have for each other.The so called "muslim brotherhood" is more of a joke since all are fighting each other and divided in various factions.

So all your assumptions are WRONG but this is a reflection of typical Pakistani mindset which starts and ends with religion.

what can we do when the world seems to be after us like a hungry dog, even ur country would be left with no other choice in such circumstances !!!!

secondly muslim brotherhood being a joke is some thing accepted by me it truly is a joke thats why i said why do people think we will facilitate them inspite of seeing a region openly dominated by petrodollars......

ur allegations on my mindset stand nowhere, u should visit dubai then, where even u will come across indians distinguishing muslims and hindus rather than treating them (indians) alike !!!! ur students distinguish themselves here at a school level so IMO ur countrys mindset stands at the same level too and is equally questionable as ours....i've witnessed a delhi boy being left alone coz he was from delhi (after that tragic case, i wont comment any further)...

 

[ExtraOdinary]

That would have been the end of Middle East. Good these nutters don't have nukes