ID :
187834
Sat, 06/11/2011 - 10:18
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/187834
The shortlink copeid
Former int'l leaders stress no Mideast peace possible without Hamas
Berlin, June 11, IRNA -- Some 24 ex-political leaders, among them mostly former heads of government, foreign ministers and defense ministers from Europe, emphasized there could be no peace in the Middle East without Hamas.
In letter, published Friday by the Hamburg-based news magazine Der Spiegel, the former decision-makers made clear a lasting Mideast peace was 'only possible' if Hamas was on board.
The group warned the US and European Union against sabotaging the reconciliation accord between the Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas.
'If Palestinian reconciliation is undermined, it will throw the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into an even deeper impasse, with dramatic consequences for all parties and the international community at large.'
'By supporting Palestinian unity at this vital juncture, the US and the EU have an opportunity to show their commitment to the two-state solution as well as to the democratic aspirations currently being voiced throughout the broader Middle East,' the letter said.
The letter urged especially the US and the EU to 'constructively engage with the transitional government as well as with the Palestinian leadership that results from the elections next year.'
'We consider it of vital importance that the international community supports Palestinian unity and avoids any steps that could jeopardise the fragile reconciliation process,' according to the ex-officials.
The group called on the US and EU to rethink its hardline policy against Hamas amid ongoing pressure by the Zionist regime and its powerful lobby in the West.
'The opportunity presented by the unity deal must be seized without repeating past mistakes.
In 2006, following the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian election, the US and the EU opted for political and financial boycott,' the letter said.
'In hindsight, those policies were a major setback for the peace process by exacerbating Palestinian divisions and entrenching the blockade of Gaza. The new unity deal and the developments in the wider region offer a chance for course correction by the US and the EU,' according to the group./end
In letter, published Friday by the Hamburg-based news magazine Der Spiegel, the former decision-makers made clear a lasting Mideast peace was 'only possible' if Hamas was on board.
The group warned the US and European Union against sabotaging the reconciliation accord between the Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas.
'If Palestinian reconciliation is undermined, it will throw the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into an even deeper impasse, with dramatic consequences for all parties and the international community at large.'
'By supporting Palestinian unity at this vital juncture, the US and the EU have an opportunity to show their commitment to the two-state solution as well as to the democratic aspirations currently being voiced throughout the broader Middle East,' the letter said.
The letter urged especially the US and the EU to 'constructively engage with the transitional government as well as with the Palestinian leadership that results from the elections next year.'
'We consider it of vital importance that the international community supports Palestinian unity and avoids any steps that could jeopardise the fragile reconciliation process,' according to the ex-officials.
The group called on the US and EU to rethink its hardline policy against Hamas amid ongoing pressure by the Zionist regime and its powerful lobby in the West.
'The opportunity presented by the unity deal must be seized without repeating past mistakes.
In 2006, following the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian election, the US and the EU opted for political and financial boycott,' the letter said.
'In hindsight, those policies were a major setback for the peace process by exacerbating Palestinian divisions and entrenching the blockade of Gaza. The new unity deal and the developments in the wider region offer a chance for course correction by the US and the EU,' according to the group./end
