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| EU adopts a “wait-and-see” position towards Hamas
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(l to r) the Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, European Parliament President Josep Barrell, EU Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margot Wallstrom
Photo: AUSTRIAN PRESIDENCY/HOPI-MEDIA/GEORGES SCHNEIDER
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The European Union will as yet not be halting its financial aid to a Hamas-led Palestinian government, giving more time to the winner of last week’s Palestinian elections to renounce violence and recognize Israel.
“We have underlined the EU’s continuous policy that violence and terror are incompatible with democratic processes,” Ursula Plassnik, Austria’s foreign minister, said at a press conference after a meeting of the 25 EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
Austria is currently chairing the rotating EU presidency.
“We have urged Hamas to renounce violence, to disarm and to recognize Israel’s right to exist,” the Austrian minister added.
EU statement
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As EU Foreign ministers met in Brussels on Monday to discuss the “new situation” created by Hamas’ victory in last week’s Palestinian legislative elections, EJP looks at how European media has been commenting the result.
Der Standard (Austria) found plenty of people to blame for Hamas' victory: "The Palestinian Authority under the corrupt leadership of Yasser Arafat first of all; the EU Commission, which pumped money into Gaza and Ramallah without ensuring the principles of good governance; and finally Israel's government, which supported the Islamists during the first Intifada at the end of the 80s to weaken Arafat's PLO."
Rzeczpospolita (Poland): "Much of the blame lies with the USA and the EU for tolerating the ubiquitous corruption that their financing enabled," the paper opined. "Israel and the western countries did not do enough to pull the Palestinians from their misery. Now it will be even more difficult."
El Pais (Spain): “Hamas' legislative victory opened "an earthquake that promises turbulent times in the Middle East. The Israeli stage has already lost a central player with Sharon's stroke," the paper wrote. "With Hamas' invasion to the center of Palestinian power another key player has entered who is only going to make the situation more difficult."
De Morgen (Belgium): "The masks will fall when the new government is put together, and not just in regard to Israel.” "Hamas wants to create a Muslim state for the Palestinians where religion is the highest law of the land."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany): “It's the West's response to the new government that will play the largest role in the Middle East's future. The way the West, Europeans and Americans, respond to this development will be an important factor in determining how seriously Muslims take the demands for democratization.” "Moreover, a Palestinian government in which Hamas is a coalition partner cannot ignore the fact that the West plays a pivotal role in financing the upkeep of the Palestinian territories."
Corriere della Sera (Italy): "A pointed dilemma" is beginning for Europeans. From now on, ignoring the power of Hamas is impossible.” "But to try to bend today's Hamas with the European Union's traditional carrot-without-a-stick diplomacy of negotiations and money could lead to catastrophe." The influential newspaper recommended the EU be "determined to confront Hamas with resolve and ready to react against hate, violence and terror at every opportunity."
La Repubblica (Italy) : “Hamas didn’t win the elections by preaching terrorism but by denouncing Fatah’s corruption. Now, after September 11, negotiating with Hamas would constitute a dangerous precedent. And Hamas announced that entering the Parliament does not imply giving up the terror. The situation is gloomy and is likely to remain so for long.“
Kommersant (Russia) : "The world is witness to an experiment that is trying to find an alternative to the violent destruction of radical movements that are kept out of their countries' political processes.” "When Hamas comes to power and stays in power, the experiment's failure has to be admitted," the paper wrote. "But what will happen if Hamas unexpectedly changes, and the example becomes contagious. What will politicians who have based their leadership on the fight against terrorism do then?"
Correio da Manha (Portugal): "The Hamas victory was won at the ballot box, democratically.” "Certain European leaders are already quick with criticism and threats. This is a mistake and a dangerous one, because if these elections were conducted in accordance with democratic principles, then it is vital for us to respond with a peace-seeking diplomacy adapted to the new situation. Even is this means we have to negotiate with radicals and terrorists. Negotiating does not mean surrendering."
De Volkskrant (Holland) : "Fatah's spectacular loss is one of the most well-deserved punishments for the apparatchik and people pulling the strings who made the Palestinian Authority into a pool of incompetence and corruption.” "The outside world has to take credit for that since, for the dear cause of peace, it looked away from Palestinian mismanagement. This is what you get."
Sunday Telegraph (UK) : “The wholesale impoverishment of his people is not the only part of Arafat's legacy that has alienated Fatah's traditional support. More damning was Arafat's failure to secure a lasting peace settlement with Israel, which was a distinct possibility under the ill-fated Oslo peace accords."
The Times (UK): “Europe must not settle for a messy verbal compromise on relations with Israel. As the largest provider of funds for the PA, the European Union has, for too long, turned a blind eye to embezzlement. If Hamas can provide cleaner government while abjuring violence, Europe can continue support. If it does neither, both funding and acceptance should be promptly withdrawn. The EU funded Arafat’s corruption. It must not finance Hamas terrorism.” | “The EU council of foreign ministers expects the newly elected Palestinian Legislative Council to support the formation of a government committed to a peaceful and negotiated solution of the conflict with Israel on existing agreements and the Roadmap as well as the rule of law, reform and sound fiscal management,” the foreign ministers said in their final statement.
“On this basis, the European Union stands ready to continue to support Palestinian economic development and democratic state building,” the statement added.
Hamas, branded as a terrorist group by Europe and the US, won 74 of 132 parliamentary seats in last week’s Palestinian election, ending the four-decade dominance of Palestinian politics by the more moderate Fatah movement.
“We are looking to Hamas to renounce violence,’’ U.K. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said before the ministerial meeting. European governments “have an opportunity to pause and to think about’’ putting conditions on EU financial support, he added.
Asked by a British journalist if the EU was not "too much optimistic" towards Hamas, EU’s top foreign policy Javier Solana said he would better use the words "realism and rationality" than optimism.
Continuing aid
Europe is the biggest donor to the Palestinian Authority, spending 500 million euros in 2005 on utilities, food aid, social services and election support.
According to diplomatic sources, EU commissioner in charge of external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner has advocated continuing financial aid to the Palestinians.
“We are aware of the difficult financial situation of the Palestinians,” she stressed at the press conference. “We don’t want a Palestinian Authority that collapses. At the same time we have to reinforce our benchmark,” she said.
EU Commission aid to the Palestinians totalled 280 million euros last year, 70 million of which was given to the multi-donor fund set up by the World Bank for the Palestinian Authority. Only 35 million have been released, the rest being freezed by the EU because the PA didn’t not meet certain financial benchmarks.
The rest of the aid is mostly channelled through UN relief agencies and independent aid groups.
Hamas has threatened to tap Iran, now battling the EU and U.S. over its nuclear program, to replace any lost EU aid.
“We still have three or four weeks to make up our minds,’’ Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said. “Once people are in power, maybe they change their position.”
“The key lies in the Palestinian territories,’’ German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. “There, a decision needs to be taken on whether to take the political path. That means renouncing violence, putting down arms and recognizing Israel’s right to exist.’’
EU London parly
An EU delegation travelled to London Monday night to discuss the way forward with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who yesterday called for a halt in aid to put pressure on Hamas to commit to the peace process.
Emboldened by a charter that calls for the destruction of Israel, Hamas has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings over the past five years.
Israel, facing its own election on March 28, has ruled out peace talks with a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority that refuses to give up its weapons.
Germany has pressed the EU to take a hard line on Hamas, with new Chancellor Angela Merkel saying the new Palestinian government must reject violence, accept Israel’s right to exist and take an active part in the peace process.
On a short visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Merkel said it was “unthinkable” for Germany and the EU to give financial support to the Palestinian Authority if it does not recognise Israel or renounce violence.
The leader of the European Union’s election-monitoring team which oversaw the vote last Wednesday, Conservative MEP Edward McMillan-Scott, said the EU should take Hamas off the list of terrorist organizations.
“The European Union is right to demand the renunciation by Hamas of violence, and to demand that Hamas recognise Israel” said McMillan-Scott.
“But Europe also has to note that Hamas has stuck to a ceasefire since February 2005, and that it is now an elected political, Islamist force in the Middle-East, even if it is one which comes from a terrorist background."
He went on: “Hamas is a terrorist organisation, but now it should come off the blacklist - especially considering that it is on the list and Hezbollah is not.”
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