By Kouthar Sambo
“Either we die in dignity or we live in dignity.”
This is according to the former Health Minister in Gaza and Member of the International Relations Bureau of Hamas, Dr Basem Naim, in an exclusive interview on VOC’s PM Drive show.
Dr Basem Naim: “Palestinians have the right only to leave or be killed”
The profound moto comes into play when the finance minster of Israel raised the slogan that Palestinians have the right only to leave or be killed.
“The choices left for us Palestinians is either to die in one shot by a rocket or to die every day by settler violence, checkpoints, Israeli prisons, hospitals, and lack of medicine and food,” remarked Naim.
The Israeli state have no boundaries and constitution, said Naim, as Israel is recognised as a state without borders because the intention is to expand and take more.
Israel’s plan for the “greater state of Israel”
According to Naim, the greater state of Israel embodies Iraq, the Southern part of Turkey, including Syria and Lebanon, part of Egypt and part of the northern and western part of Saudi Arabia, back to Iraq.
“Because of the resistance of Palestinians, south Lebanon and Yemen, they cannot implement this. But if they had the support to expand as much as possible, they will do it.”
“One of Israel’s famous leaders said our borders are exactly where the boots of our soldiers are standing. And this is the core of Israel’s ideology,” explained Naim.
Palestinians breaking through the narrative
Naim further added that regardless of the Palestinian struggle, we must not undermine international support such as South Africa, a country which has demonstrated unwavering solidarity with Palestine.
“I want to take the opportunity to thank South Africa and its citizens from all ethnicities and religious faith for their strong and committed support to Palestine, as well executing the necessary steps of taking Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” expressed Naim.
Based on South Africa’s experience with its own struggle with Apartheid, said Naim, its people feel that the Palestinian struggle is their own struggle.
“Palestinians know that Nelson Mandela has said that the freedom of South Africans is not complete until the freedom of Palestinians is achieved. I think this is due to a moral comittment to us as Palestinians,” added Naim.
Photo: VOCfm
