In an October 4, 2025 interview on Spot Shot on YouTube, UAE political science professor Abdulkhaleq Abdulla said that Hamas has lost, not the Palestinian cause, and that it must admit its loss and apologize for its “act of stupidity.” He suggested that Lebanon sign a peace agreement with Israel, like Jordan and Egypt, which both border Israel and have benefited from such agreements.
Abdulla said that there is nothing wrong with Hizbullah surrendering its weapons, describing Hizbullah’s new leader Naim Qassem as not “rational.” He said that Hizbullah is weak, yet they falsely believe they have won. Abdulla added that they should allow the Lebanese state to handle relations with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, noting that no one in the Gulf listens to Hizbullah’s rhetoric and that Gulf countries resent Qassem’s exaggerated claims of victory. He stated that Qassem refuses to break away from Iran and continues to represent it in Lebanon.
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla: “The Palestinian cause is not lost. It is a just cause that will persist. It is Hamas that has lost. The resistance have done what it had to do? Fine, but it was defeated. They need to admit this. Hamas needs to apologize to the two million people [in Gaza], and to the six million Palestinians, and to all the Arabs, for their act of stupidity.
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“Israel has signed peace with Jordan. How is Lebanon different from Jordan? Israel has signed peace with Egypt, which has a population of 110-120 million. Sir, peace is not just the choice of Lebanon or Syria. Two of the countries bordering with Israel have signed peace with it. It is good for Jordan and Egypt, so why can’t it be good for Lebanon? I believe that there is nothing wrong with Hizbullah surrendering its weapons.
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“Personally, I believe that the new [Hizbullah] leader is not a rational man. This is evident from everything we’ve heard from him since he became the leader. Once a day, or once a week, he shows up with his Karbala-style speeches. All his shouting and bravado does not indicate that he is a rational man that you want to deal with. I’m talking about him as a person. If it were someone else, then maybe.
“The second thing is that Hizbullah is weaker than it was a year ago. It is weak politically, militarily, and financially, as well as in terms of its popularity and leadership. Hizbullah is weak but they think that they won, and can now reach out to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. They should lower their exaggerated [sense] of victory, and their belief that they can now have dealings with countries. Let the Lebanese state deal with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. Not you.
“No one in the Gulf even listens to this rhetoric. They resent [Naim Qassem’s] Karbala rhetorics, and his exaggerated claims of victory. On top of everything, he does not want to break away from Iran. He is still Iran’s man in Lebanon.”