June 27, 2002
When They Say 'Hudna' What Do They really mean?

When the international media refers to a Palestinian "cease-fire", it is clearly relating to the non-Muslim interpretation of the term.

Yet, it appears that once again, the message that the Palestinians have relayed to the West is not the message that has been directed at the Arab and Muslim world.

The Palestinians use the word 'Hudna' to describe this 'cease-fire'. Yet this is an Arabic word which refers more accurately to a tactical truce. Its origin and meaning are deeply rooted in the Islamic tradition.

In the year 628 AD, when surmising that his forces were too weak to overcome the rival Kuraysh tribes, the Prophet Mohammed concluded a ten-year truce accord with the Kuraysh. This agreement became known as the Hudaybiyya Accord, after the place where it was signed. Yet, less than two years later, having consolidated their power, the Muslim forces attacked the Kuraysh tribes and defeated them, allowing Mohammed to conquer the city of Mecca.

Since that time, the term Hudna has been understood by Muslims as a tactical cease-fire that is intended only to allow a shift the balance of power. Once the balance of power has shifted, and the groundwork has been laid for a Muslim victory, the truce can then be broken.

Since the term has acquired a semi-legal status in Islamic law and philosophy, it has been adopted by the Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups as a tactical measure to be used in times of crisis.

Therefore, it must be understood that the Palestinian choice of the term 'Hudna' in its original form already, provides them with an intrinsic justification for the unilateral violation of the cease-fire when the conditions are ripe.

The 'Hudna', in its true meaning, is not a mere 'cease-fire', but rather a tactical tool to gain a military advantage. Needless to say, a cease-fire ploy of this nature will not be tolerated by the Government of Israel, which bears the fundamental responsibility to protect the lives of its citizens.