Brussels, 02/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - The EU must not take any “hasty” decisions regarding its approach toward Hamas after the latter's victory at the Palestinian elections on 25 January. It must look to the future and “not let the Palestinian people, who have suffered so much, down”, Hans Winkler said on 1 February on behalf of the EU Council Presidency when speaking to MEPs meeting in plenary in Brussels. The Austrian Secretary of State, who recalled that the former Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, “is still a discussion partner”, also stressed the need for unity of action between the EU and the other members of the Quartet for the Middle East (see EUROPE 9120 and 9121 on the declarations by the EU Council Presidency and the Quartet restating the conditions for cooperation with Hamas). On the subject of the Council's decision last December not to publish a report by European diplomats on the ground on the subject of the difficulties encountered by Palestinians in East Jerusalem, Winker recalled that the Council of 12 December had expressed preference for the EU to state its reservation directly to Israel (EUROPE 9087). The omission from the publication was nonetheless a serious mistake, Luisa Morgantini (GUE/NGL, Italy) said in criticism, while admitting that “as a woman, I find the Hamas result terrible”. After the elections, at last, there is a majority of Palestinians in favour of peace with Israel, European Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said, commenting that, when Hamas “takes office”, it should behave in a responsible manner worthy of the post. She went on to add that, now, the first objective must be that Israel “transfer Palestinian revenue (customs duties) to the Palestinian authorities: this is Palestinian money!. I shall speak to Israel about it”, she assured, adding that such transfers will be used to pay salaries, which will mean an income for Palestinian families. Also, urging the Arab League to “honour” its commitments to the Palestinians, she said she was pleased to hear in the press that the president of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz (whom she met in London on Tuesday), is reported to have said “we should be the last ones to disengage” from Palestine. Elmar Brok, Chair of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs, said “our contribution should be more visible” and show Hamas that “it is worthwhile working for peace”. Brok felt one should not lose hope of Hamas changing in time. The elected CDU member went on to say he hoped there would be signs of this before the Israeli elections as the situation could become more difficult after this.
Belgian Socialist Véronique de Keyser, who headed the EU Observation Mission at Palestinian elections, exclaimed “all Palestinians have not become radical Islamists!” Speaking to Ms Ferrero-Waldner, she said: “You have helped me a great deal in my mission. You have had to guide me through difficult decisions, such as the deployment of EU observers to Gaza in precarious security conditions” (“we were the only mission in Gaza from the outset”, she pointed out) and the “tricky decision to meet the Hamas candidates” (here too, she noted, they were the only ones to do so, while stressing that EU observers had been able to choose their Hamas interlocutors, who were “moderates”). British Conservative Edward McMillan-Scott, who headed the EP Observation Mission, said: “in the streets of Palestine there was a clamour of choice and change, the noise of democracy), which could set an example for the rest of the region. Spanish Socialist Carlos Carnero remarked that the MEPs will have an opportunity to meet the new Palestinian elected representatives end March during the next plenary of the EuroMed Parliamentary Assembly. Pierre Schapira, French Socialist, was of the view that they should call on Hamas to set a “timetable for commitment”, and Northern Ireland Unionist member James Allister (Non-Attached), drew a parallel with the IRA stressing “no EU money for terrorist organisations”. This was also the view of several other MEPs who spoke out more or less vehemently, including the Forza Italia elected member, Antonio Tajani, who stressed in passing the positive role played by the Christian Palestinians and who thus commented on the invitation proffered by Josep Borrell to Mahmoud Abbas (EUROPE 9121): “Yes, let Mahmoud Abbas come to the Parliament!”