Haniya to Israel: Times Have Changed, We Won’t Lay out Arms

Local Editor

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya vowed on Sunday not to “cede a single part of Palestine”, promising the Israelis of “difficult days” since times have changed.

At a mass rally in Tunis, Haniya received an ovation from the crowd of some 5,000 men, women and children gathered in a stadium waving Palestinian, Tunisian and Hamas flags.

"Israel no longer has allies in Egypt and in Tunisia, we are saying to the Zionist enemies that times have changed and that the time of the Arab Spring, the time of the revolution, of dignity and of pride has arrived," he said to loud cheers.

"We promise you that we will not cede a single part of Palestine, we will not cede Jerusalem, we will continue to fight and we will not lay down our arms," he said.

He urged "the people of the revolution to fight the army of Al-Quds" (Jerusalem).
To Tunisia we say: 'It is us today who are going to build the new Middle East'."

As Haniya insisted "We will not recognize Israel", the crowd chanted: "Death to Israel", "People want Liberation of Palestine”.

Haniya arrived in Tunis on Thursday for a five-day visit at the invitation of the new Tunisian authorities. He has also visited Egypt, Sudan and Turkey and will next travel to Qatar and Bahrain.

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