Posted on 01/26/2006 9:44:26 AM PST by NormsRevenge
PARIS - World leaders, uneasy at the prospect of a Hamas-led Palestinian government, immediately exerted pressure on the Islamic militants Thursday to recognize Israel and renounce violence as a precondition for support.
That a group listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States won seemingly fair-and-square at the ballot box compounded the dilemma for foreign governments. While they welcomed the smooth running of the Palestinian legislative elections, the militants' stunning showing also unsettled many and threw Middle East peacemaking into turmoil.
"Hamas won," said Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel. "Hamas is surely not a democratic movement. Its ideas are surely not humanistic ideas.
"What do we do now?"
European governments and the United States presented a united front — insisting that Hamas renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist — and planned meetings to coordinate their response. A senior European Parliament lawmaker, Elmar Brok, warned of a possible cutoff of European Union aid for the Palestinians if Hamas does not change its policies.
"You cannot have one foot in politics and another in terror," said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, adding that for the United States, Hamas is still a terrorist organization.
"The whole of the international community has the responsibility to accept the outcome of any fair and democratic election," said British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. "But in this case Hamas has a clear responsibility to understand that with democracy goes a rejection of violence."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman was blunt: "We can only do business with people who renounce terrorism," he said.
Concern crossed political divides, with traditional supporters of the Palestinian cause — such as Italy's center-left opposition — among those expressing concern. The Italian government said Hamas' victory could indefinitely postpone any chance of Israeli-Palestinian peace and make the creation of a Palestinian state more difficult.
"It is a very, very, very bad result," Italian news agencies quoted Premier Silvio Berlusconi as saying.
Rice was due to meet in London on Monday with U.N., Russian and European leaders as the so-called "Quartet" evaluates the election results and tries to decide how to proceed with peacemaking efforts.
EU foreign ministers meeting Monday also will discuss the 25-nation bloc's response.
In the Arab and Islamic worlds, some were jubilant. Hamas' win topped the news on state-run radio in Iran — which is accused by Israel and the United States of supplying Hamas and other Palestinian militants with weapons and funding.
"This is a victory to all the region's free people," said Ayyoub Muhanna, a 29-year-old who owns a spare parts shop in Lebanon. "The Palestinians gave their vote to the party that gave of its blood."
In Pakistan, a lawmaker from the hard-line Islamic opposition said Israel and the United States would be enemies of democracy if they refused to negotiate with a Hamas-led government. An Islamic leader in Indonesia said Hamas' win must be recognized as an expression of Palestinian aspirations.
"Hamas' victory heralds a change in the entire region. This symbolizes that Islamic groups are getting successful," said the Pakistani lawmaker, Liaqat Baluch.
Japan hailed the successful holding of elections as "an important step toward building a democratic Palestinian state" but also said it expects the Palestinian Authority "to control the extremists" and work for peace.
Israel, the United States and the European Union have said they would not deal with a government led by Hamas, which has carried out dozens of suicide bombings, seeks Israel's destruction and has said that it opposes peace talks and will not disarm.
Sweden's foreign minister, Laila Freivalds, said Hamas' showing was "a protest against those in power who have not done enough, a reaction to the incapacity to lead the political process forward."
But she said the 25-nation EU cannot cooperate with Hamas unless it changes its policies. In France, the prime minister said renouncing violence, accepting progress toward peace, recognizing Israel and the Oslo peace accords were "indispensable" conditions for working with "a Palestinian government of any kind."
"These (election) results may confront us with an entirely new situation which will need to be analyzed," said EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
The EU has given millions of euros (dollars) in aid to the Palestinian Authority to help reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank — funding that was called into question following Hamas' win.
"It is obvious that the EU would never countenance funding a regime that continued an armed fight against Israel," said Ignasi Guardans, a Spanish member of the European Parliament. "But we cannot push for democracy and then deny the result of free and fair elections."
___
AP reporters around the world contributed to this report.
Thousands of Palestinian supporters of Hamas celebrate their election win under election posters of Fatah movement's Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Ramallah January 26, 2006. The Islamic militant Hamas group swept to victory over the long-dominant Fatah party in Palestinian parliamentary polls, a political earthquake that could bury any hope for reviving peace talks with Israel soon. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
A Palestinian man removes an election poster in the West Bank city of Ramallah January 26, 2006. (Eliana Aponte/Reuters)
A man makes the V-sign for victory as he walks past a banner depicting leaders and members of the Islamic militant group Hamas in the West Bank city of Hebron. The United States remains opposed to the militant group Hamas but is convinced the Palestinian people still want peace despite its stunning election victory, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said(AFP/Hazem Bader)
You gotta love that road map to peace. Its worked so well in the past.
That must be a picture of "Kahk a Moon" or his brother "Pish A Moon".
Is it even *theoretically possible* to say something more asinine than this?
Not sure what the big deal is. Only difference between Hamas and Fatah is Hamas will openly state where it stands, whereas Fatah says one thing in English, and another thing in Arabic.
Clarity isn't always a bad thing.
What is the surprise? Too bad Rachel Corrie wasn't alive to see this. She would certainly be celebrating.
The Palestinian people have chosen their leaders, and we (other nations) must accept that. That is the way of democratic nations.
However, we don't have to give the little buggers any cash. Let 'em eat detonators.
Bingo!
It's sad to see that the Democrats don't have the "asinine comment" market cornered. I guess some people just have to be hit up along side their head with a 2x4 before they see the light.
Could it be that a majority of Palestinians are bloodthirsty Jew-haters?
Does it ever occur to Condoleezza Rice that Mulims have an obligation under their religion to support people who will kill Infidels if necessary.
Is a Muslim suspose to vote for people who will make peace with Infidels? I don't think so.
Palestine are voting their wishes - not those of the Infidels, who want to wish the terrorism away. - tom
"Whom do you serve?"
"Saroman."
We can in some sense accept the election results, but in another sense we can always reject a regime whose ideals are murder and mayhem. I believe that Hitler had the support of his people, too.
...they're shocked by this?
These people are running powerful nations worldwide - hope you can sleep tonight. :)
With elections comes risk.
Don't forget, this nation once elected Lyndon Johnson, whose policies were (and are) as destructive to this nation's infrastructure as a direct missile attack. Great Society, for example, is a repeated daily missile attack.
If you let the people choose, sometimes they do exactly that.
The road went off a cliff. Hamas will not reform. It will attack and kill Jews.
I tend to agree with your sentiment. The Palis have spoken, now let them live with their choice. And if they get further isolated in the world community, fall further behind in their nationalistic aspirations, it's their own fault. Just because they've elected militant terrorists over a party of garden variety terrorists doesn't mean we have to work with them.
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