EU refuses to deal with Hamas ministers but Palestinian government indivisible

April 1, 2007

Bethlehem - Ma'an - The European Union foreign ministers expressed their support for the Arab initiative during a meeting in Bremen, northwest Germany, and agreed to cooperate with the Palestinian ministers that are not members of the Hamas movement.

The ministers supported the Arab initiative, which was presented at the Beirut summit and revived in Riyadh by the Arab leaders last week.

The guiding principle of the Arab initiative is land for peace, but it also calls for the right of return of Palestinian refugees in accordance with United Nations Resolution 194.

The Spanish foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, said "the international community should not lose this chance for peace, we have wasted many chances." He added that "we have a practical solution to deal with the parties, but not with Hamas members".

European Commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said that "it is important to be ready for the future and the issue of finance" she added that "the temporary mechanism to deliver the funds will remain for a longer period". She said that the ministers have agreed to intensify their communication and efforts to mediate in the Middle East crisis.

Equality

Palestinian minister of information, Dr Mustafa Barghouthi, issued a statement declaring that the Palestinian government refuses all attempts to differentiate between the ministers in the unity government.

The statement confirmed that the platform of the government was for all ministers not for only one part. Barghouthi called on all sides to recognize the unity government.

The minister of information told Germany's most influential magazine, Der Spiegel, that "it is Israel who is refusing the initiative and refusing to revive the peace talks."

He added that the leader of Hamas, Khalid Mash'al, said that "Hamas will agree to the Arab consensus".

Barghouthi said "It is not fair that the conditions and obstacles are being put only in the face of the Palestinians, the initiative talks about mutual recognition."

Arab solidarity

The Hamas movement confirmed that it will not accept the international differentiation between the ministers of the unity government.

Spokesman of the movement, Dr Ismail Radwan, told Ma'an that his movement "and the government are going to break the siege with the assistance of the Arab and Islamic countries."

He continued, "The Arab countries will assist in the pressure to be exerted on the international community to open dialogue without preconditions and without differentiating between the ministers".

Radwan warned against making this differentiation and classifying ministers as 'moderates' and 'extremists'.

He stressed that the aim of such a policy is to "deepen the differences in the arena between the Palestinians themselves in order to push the Palestinians and the Arabs to more tension and differences".

The spokesman also called on the Europeans "to deal with the Palestinian peoples' democratic choice and to avoid the double-standard policy" and he urges them "to pressure the occupation instead of pressuring the victim."