Al-Jazeera Interview
"The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has since its formative years in the 1980s staunchly called for armed resistance against Israeli occupation and refused to acknowledge or participate in peace talks.
Headquartered in Syria, the PIJ is much smaller than Hamas but both groups find their inspirational roots in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.
Fathi al-Shaqaqi, the group's leader, was killed in Malta in 1995 in what many believe was an Israeli commando operation. Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, a British-trained academic who lectured in Middle East studies at the University of South Florida, was selected by the leadership to succeed al-Shaqaqi as the group's secretary-general.
Al Jazeera recently interviewed Shallah who said that current efforts to restart the peace process were merely attempts to "resell the illusion of peace".
Al Jazeera: Political reconciliation initiatives between Palestinian factions seem to have faltered and Gaza remains under Israeli siege. What does the PIJ perceive to be the biggest threats facing the Palestinians today?
Ramadan Abdullah Shallah: I think the biggest threat to the Palestinian people today is the absence of direction. They are losing the sense to decide which way to go in leading this march, this struggle to gain their freedom and independence......."
"The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has since its formative years in the 1980s staunchly called for armed resistance against Israeli occupation and refused to acknowledge or participate in peace talks.
Headquartered in Syria, the PIJ is much smaller than Hamas but both groups find their inspirational roots in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.
Fathi al-Shaqaqi, the group's leader, was killed in Malta in 1995 in what many believe was an Israeli commando operation. Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, a British-trained academic who lectured in Middle East studies at the University of South Florida, was selected by the leadership to succeed al-Shaqaqi as the group's secretary-general.
Al Jazeera recently interviewed Shallah who said that current efforts to restart the peace process were merely attempts to "resell the illusion of peace".
Al Jazeera: Political reconciliation initiatives between Palestinian factions seem to have faltered and Gaza remains under Israeli siege. What does the PIJ perceive to be the biggest threats facing the Palestinians today?
Ramadan Abdullah Shallah: I think the biggest threat to the Palestinian people today is the absence of direction. They are losing the sense to decide which way to go in leading this march, this struggle to gain their freedom and independence......."
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