Haniyeh calls on Arab world to support Gaza

Gaza prime minister Ismail Haniyeh called on Tuesday for more support from the Arab world to help break the blockade on Gaza and reconstruct the coastal enclave. Tuesday is the third anniversary of Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip which lasted from Dec. 27, 2008 until Jan. 18, 2009 and killed around 1,400 Palestinians, most of whom were civilians. A statement from Haniyeh's office said that the Hamas prime minister discussed key Palestinian issues with the Arab League general secretary Nabil al-Arabi in their recent meeting. Haniyeh explained to al-Arabi about the ongoing Judaization of Jerusalem and Israeli policies which suppress Palestinian identity and culture in the city. Arab nations must educate their people about Jerusalem to evoke the importance of the city, Haniyeh said. He also expressed admiration for Egypt's role in supporting Palestine and described reconciliation as a strategic choice from which there is no retreat. The Palestinian cause has benefited from the social revolutions in the region, he added. "The revolutions are the proof that the future is ours as Palestinians and for the Islamic and Arab people, the occupation cannot escape from the legitimate Palestinian demand to have a state with Jerusalem as its capital."