Europe opens covert talks with ‘blacklisted’ Hamas
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European nations have opened a direct dialogue with Hamas as the US intensifies the search for Middle East peace under Barack Obama.
In the first meeting of its kind, two French senators travelled to Damascus two weeks ago to meet the leader of the Palestinian Islamist faction, Khaled Meshal, The Independent has learned. Two British MPs met three weeks ago in Beirut with the Hamas representative in Lebanon, Usamah Hamdan. “Far more people are talking to Hamas than anyone might think,” said a senior European diplomat. “It is the beginning of something new – although we are not negotiating.”
Mr Hamdan said yesterday that since the end of last year, MPs from Sweden, the Netherlands and three other western European nations, which he declined to identify, had consulted with Hamas representatives.
“They believe they made a mistake by blacklisting Hamas,” he said, referring to the EU decision in 2003 to add the political wing of the movement to its list of terrorist organisations. “Now they know they have to talk to Hamas.”
Political contacts with Hamas are banned under the rules of the international Quartet for Middle East peace – which groups the US, the EU, Russia and the UN – on the grounds that the Palestinian faction remains committed to the destruction of Israel. The international community insists that the ban will only be lifted once the Islamists agree to recognise Israel and renounce violence. But the policy, set out in 2006 following the Hamas victory in Palestinian elections, has been called into question since the three-week war in Gaza which is ruled by Hamas.
Diplomats insisted that the lawmakers’ contacts with Hamas were at their own initiative, although they are presumed to have reported back to governments. The British MPs who went to Beirut “were not engaged in back channel or officially sanctioned talks,” said a Foreign Office spokesman.
The EU backs Egyptian-mediated efforts to secure reconciliation between Hamas and its Fatah rivals as part of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. Palestinian unity is being encouraged as a prerequisite for a two-state solution.
But Mr Meshal told the French senators that Palestinian unity was “the most difficult issue”, according to a source familiar with the talks. “Meshal said the Palestinian Authority [led by the President Mahmoud Abbas, of Fatah] no longer represents anything,” said the source. Hamas is “convinced that the Arab street is with them”.
Hamas’s main backer, Syria, is also brimming with confidence after the three-week war failed to deal a knock-out blow to its allies in Gaza. The Syrian government senses an opportunity under Mr Obama to end the isolation imposed by the Bush presidency.
Syria’s President, Bashir Assad, has granted several interviews to Western media in recent weeks in which he has expressed the hope of improved relations with the US. John Kerry, the head of the Senate foreign relations committee who has advocated the return of a US ambassador to Syria, is due in Damascus at the weekend.
The Syrian ambassador to London, Sami Khiyami, said: “We expect another ambassador. It is not going to take a long time. America, like Europe, understands that the gate to having a political influence in the Middle East can only be achieved through Syria.”
But Middle East analysts play down expectations that EU – or US policy – regarding Hamas is about to change. Two major uncertainties remain: the approach of the Obama administration and the contours of the future Israeli government which could be led by the hardliner Benjamin Netanyahu.
Martin Indyk, a former US ambassador to Israel, said Mr Obama would be making a “huge mistake” if he decided to open direct talks with Hamas. Such a move would “undermine the Palestinian leadership that wants to make peace with Israel”.
He said there had been progress in indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria, and that Mr Netanyahu could well decide to embark down the track which is “somewhat riper”. But “the Syrians are not about to sign on the dotted line” insofar as they would come under pressure to break with their strategic allies, Hamas, Hizbollah and Iran, he added.
Mr Khiyami said the Israelis would have to choose between negotiations or future confrontation. “If they choose the first option they will find people ready to negotiate under the umbrella of the Arab initiative. If they choose the second, we are not responsible anymore for any violence that can happen in the Middle East.”
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Comments
You will find genocide of arabs in... Arab countries, nearly all of (22) them. Briain found mass graves in Iraq, many of them. Arabs killed by arabs. Dig in any other arab country and you will find the same. In any bloody dictatorship like Syria, Lybia, Sudan, Somalia, etc. Or feudal kingdom like Saudi Arabia. They even kill their own daughters and sisters, for reasons of "honour", the savages.
Why don't the US help Al-Quaeda and the Taleban?
The guy could not even enter the country. Then under
Clinton we figured out, you had to pencil him in if you
wanted any progress towards peace in the Middle East.
You don't make peace by talking to your friends. Yes,
Hamas has been a war-making operation that was then
elected. Same was true for Bush in 2004...
As Obama said at inaugural: Your people will ultimately
judge you by what you build, not what you destroy.
You get the fires out, you get parties signed to commitments,
then the world sides with you when they fail those obligations.
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view / say hello at the Guestbook;
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Truth is untill now there is no real peace process in Middle East, Israel still believe they can get way with by killing, assassinating top who is not with them and to convince the Western Governments is a duty for AIPAC.
So far Israeli leadership doesn't feel they need peace, but one day they will have to make peace with Palestinians. If they make peace today concessions will be less than tomorrow.
Israel is the only country in the Middle East that is breaking international law and continuing with the worst human rights violations the world has ever known.
It is Israel, not Syria, not Iran, that is bombing women and children and killing them by the hundreds.
It is Israel that threatens its neighbors with preempt nuclear attacks.
Israel has nuclear weapons, and absolutely refuses to buy abide by or sign any nonproliferation treaties. In fact it won't even acknowledge it has them.
Unlike Iran that did sign, and has abided by the law. But Israel wants to bomb them and kill their women and children. Because they want to be the only superpower in the Mideast, and they're willing to kill as many women and children as they can to do it.
It is Israel that builds walls, and the biggest concentration camp the world has ever known. They're the ones that burned down houses and farms destroy sewage plants on purpose. Even Tony blair's pet project was bombed.
There have been more United Nations, reprimands, against Israel that were all blocked by the United States than all the countries in the Middle East put together.
What do you call a country that refuses to abide by international law and what the world sets as humanitarian rights and justice? It's called a terrorist state.
So who should be dictating policy to whom and who is the terrorist?
If you are an arab or muslim you shouldn't be mentioning international law, you don't know what that means
Hamas has achieved more than it can dream of, following the Israeli attacks for more than 2 weeks of attacks from air, alnd and sea.
1) It is becoming more popular among the Palestinians not just in Gaza but in the West bank too.
2) The Arab street is more aware and gulvanised versus the Palestinians cause and are furious towards the Arab governing dictaotrs for lack of support to their brothers in Palestine. These Arab governments that hate democray and Islamic parties are furious for the gains made by Hamas.
3) Hamas is showing that the only language Israelis will understand is the language of resistence not gimmicky Peace plans.
4) Hamas has changed the Arab map into resistence supporters from Qatar to Syria to Algeria to Sudan to Lebanon to Libya to Mauritania versus those that are called moderates like Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
5) Hamas enabled Turkey to play a crucial role in the Middle East instead of the traditional Egypt.
6) Europeans are starting to see the true face of Israel with its agressive attacks that led to the massacre of more than 1000 innocent children, women and unarmed civilians.
7) Hamas has shown the emergence of the extreme right wing in Israel is not what the Israelis are pursuing in the future (i.e. Peace) but security that extends beyond sthe 1967 frontier and inside Palestinians occupied lands that are shrunking every year.
8) The support of Hamas and the Palestinians cause extands from the Arab world to far away places like Bolivia and Venezuela where Israelis embassies were shut as a sign of solidarity with the Palestinians.
9) Millions of citizens around the world protested against the Palestinian genocide and massacre committed by the Israelis.
10) At last people are not afraid to speak up against Zionism and starting to fel confident to differentiate between anti-semitism and anti-Zionism with Jews for peace taking the lead in this respect.
Hamas has achieved more than it can dream of, following the Israeli attacks for more than 2 weeks of attacks from air, alnd and sea.
1) It is becoming more popular among the Palestinians not just in Gaza but in the West bank too.
2) The Arab street is more aware and gulvanised versus the Palestinians cause and are furious towards the Arab governing dictaotrs for lack of support to their brothers in Palestine. These Arab governments that hate democray and Islamic parties are furious for the gains made by Hamas.
3) Hamas is showing that the only language Israelis will understand is the language of resistence not gimmicky Peace plans.
4) Hamas has changed the Arab map into resistence supporters from Qatar to Syria to Algeria to Sudan to Lebanon to Libya to Mauritania versus those that are called moderates like Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
5) Hamas enabled Turkey to play a crucial role in the Middle East instead of the traditional Egypt.
6) Europeans are starting to see the true face of Israel with its agressive attacks that led to the massacre of more than 1000 innocent children, women and unarmed civilians.
7) Hamas has shown the emergence of the extreme right wing in Israel is not what the Israelis are pursuing in the future (i.e. Peace) but security that extends beyond sthe 1967 frontier and inside Palestinians occupied lands that are shrunking every year.
8) The support of Hamas and the Palestinians cause extands from the Arab world to far away places like Bolivia and Venezuela where Israelis embassies were shut as a sign of solidarity with the Palestinians.
9) Millions of citizens around the world protested against the Palestinian genocide and massacre committed by the Israelis.
10) At last people are not afraid to speak up against Zionism and starting to fel confident to differentiate between anti-semitism and anti-Zionism with Jews for peace taking the lead in this respect.
Hamas was elected as the leader. What right do we have to reject the ones chosen by the people? Do they recognize Israel? Well, no. The Hamas movement is based on their history, and their history includes being forced from the land. For them, history does not begin in 1948. So, of course they don't recognize Israel. And you can't start a negotiation with them by demanding such recognition.
The European governments do not care because they still feel guilty about the holocaust that wasnt committed by Palestinians and try to blame both parties for lack of Peace succcess!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The ideal scenario for the Israelis in the near future is to continue with more peace plans rethorique and to buy more time.
In return, the Israeli government will encourage its extremist Zionists to settle in more fertile lands in the West Bank and to make it impossible to have a Palestinian state in the future.
Then, whoever US president will be in power will force Jordan to accept whatever is left of the west bank and the Palestinian population and for Egypt to accept Gaza in return for more US ecnomical aid and financial rewards.
With more gimmick Peace plans in the piepline, more Arab states will be expected to have signed peace treaties with Israel and for anyone to shout foul, will be considered as an extremist and anti-semite!
While I'm fuming, could you please explain to me what makes a race? Last time I looked it up. Arab and Jew didn't make the list. Nor did Buddihst or Christian.
Also. Who are the GOYIM?
Remember one thing. The U.S.A. is bringing Democracy to the countries it Invadeded. Remind us, Didn't Mugabe have a democratic election? If anyone has a problem with the 'Real' Issue. Piss off. I'm Fing tired of hearing about this> There is only one cause of the problems in the 'Arab'world. It's the 600000 people who suffered in WW1! Yes WW1. Look it up.
F*ck!!! My rant is now over.
Wasn't 'The new Israel' formed by terrorists?
I care about the Iranian scientists that are dying 'from unknown causes'
I care about the fact, that the IAEA has never been allowed into Dimona.
I care that members of your family, could be sent to a war.
I care that they could by bombed be a plane that has no pilot.
I care that on September 11 2001, people were sent to 'document the event'.
I care about alot.
What I care about the most.
Is Truth.
The irony is that there is a "war" in Afghanistan to prevent the Taliban from establishing their version of an Islamic state. Yet the whole world is supposed to accept the right of Israel to establish a Jewish state. Idi Amin was condemned for saying and trying et establish a policy of "Uganda is for Ugandans only". Nowhere else in the world is there a state established under rules equivalent to what takes place in Israel.
Someone should tell D.C. and Tel Aviv--if you keep building settlements you will undermine "moderates." If you continue to have 600+ checkpoints in the West Bank, and your client is aligned with you, that client's public will turn against him. It's not rocket science, but tell that to the "leaders" who keep deepening the occupation rather than removing settlements, checkpoints, and the wall in the West Bank.
checkpoints: You British have them in Iraq and Afghanistan too. In fact you have checkpoints at your ports and airports. Try entering Britain (if you are not a EU member), specially with a bomb. Well, checkpoints in Judea and Samaria are necessary to stop muslim terrorists suicide bombers, for preventing them from blowing themselves up in Tel-Aviv or other cities.
The wall / fence: A defensive policy against muslim suicide terrorists. You have your heavily guarded airports and ports in Britain, to keep out foreign workers and muslim terrorists.