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| By Dr. Aaron Lerner July 2, 2008 |
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IMRA interviewed Mark Regev, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Foreign Press Adviser, in English, on 2 July 2009:
IMRA: I have a question relating to the speech that Prime Minister Olmert made at the Negev Conference yesterday.
He described the agreement as follows: "We agreed to a calm on the basis of very clear parameters of what is permitted. That there is not in it strengthening" of Hamas.
I am trying to figure this out.
Is the Prime Minister saying that he doesn't consider it to be a "strengthening" of Hamas for them to build rockets, put together explosive devices, build bunkers, dig tunnels. Or does he think that these things are prohibited by the agreement?
Which is it?
Regev: The understandings reached with Egypt are clear. There is to be an end of the arms smuggling to Gaza that allows Hamas build up a formidable military machine there.
IMRA: But. Again. With the tons of explosives and raw material that they already have there that they can use to build rockets with. They can use it to construct explosive devices. They can build bunkers. They can dig tunnels. These activities all this with the material already at hand.
Does the Prime Minister not consider these activities to be activities that "strengthen" Hamas?
Regev: The important question is what do the understandings with Egypt include. OK?
And I already answered that question.
IMRA: That they can't bring more in.
Regev: That's what the agreement with Egypt is about.
IMRA: What I am trying to understand is that since he stood up before this group at the Negev Conference and said "that there is not in it strengthening" .
Is he saying that if.
Regev:: I think that to be fair, what he is saying is up to now the major source for "strengthening" was the import of weapons and explosive from the outside - for example from Hezbollah and Syria and Iran. And when you cut that off you have succeeded in dramatically reducing their ability to become stronger.
IMRA: So the domestic arms industry in Gaza is considered to be of no significance?
Regev: That you can say.
IMRA: Well, Prime Minister Olmert says "that there is not in it strengthening".
Regev: Once again. I think that any objective analysis would agree that the major driving force behind the growth of the Hamas military machine in Gaza was the smuggling into Gaza.
IMRA: I am still trying to understand.
Regev: You understand. You just want to argue.
IMRA: No. We have local construction of rockets whose range has been improving and payload increasing over time. These are not devices that were smuggled in. They are using explosives that were smuggled in but they have warehouses full of explosives so you can stop that today but that is not the issue.
Went the Prime Minister said "that there is not in it strengthening" is he saying that anything that they use today to build with is not a "strengthening"? Is that what you are saying?
Regev: I will start again. The major factor behind the strengthening has been the smuggling.
IMRA: Tthere was no qualification in his statement. He didn't say "no major strengthening" - he said "no strengthening".
Regev: If you have accurately and effectively dealt with the smuggling you have substantially dealt with the strengthening.
IMRA: So building bunkers and digging tunnels is not part of "strengthening"?
Regev: I would say that these are things obviously that we watch very carefully. Because if we do have to go into Gaza with the military we have to obviously be very aware of what military preparations they have made.
IMRA: Is that "strengthening" - these activities? Building bunkers, tunnels, planting mines? Is that "strengthening" or it doesn't count?
Regev: In the form of the agreement that was reached with the Egyptians it is importation which is the key.
IMRA: I understand. But Prime Minister Olmert was not giving a lecture about Egypt and about what was the agreement. He was talking about there not being any "strengthening".
Regev: Any objective person would agree that if you prevent the importation into Gaza of missiles, rockets, ammunition, explosive, etc., then you are substantively preventing them from becoming stronger. And that is a policy gain worth pursuing.
IMRA: OK. (Laugh). Fair enough. Thank you very much.
Regev: A pleasure. Always a pleasure. Good bye. |
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