Israel's Objection to Hamas' visit in Sweden recieves surprising support
Only a day after Sweden anounced its withdrawal from a joint air forces drill involving Israel and several European countries, Israel's Director General of the Foreign Affairs office is furious over Sweden's decision to allow members of Hamas' political wing into the country for a private visit. "You cannot separate between the terror organization and the political wing that supports it" said the director general Ron Prush-Or after a meeting with the Swedish Ambassador to Israel. What he is perhaps unaware of is that indirectly his words recieve tacit support from the London based Arab newspaper, A-Sharq-Al Awsat.
In an op-ed published in the Arabic paper's english website under the title "Who's targeting Hamas" , Al-Arabia's general manager and the former editor in chief of the newspaper Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed writes that Hamas must choose its way of either violence or the assumption of civil duties as required by government. In his article he writes that:
"If Hamas, does not want to comply with governmental duties and the civilian concept of the state, and wants to sanctify armed struggle, then it becomes its duty to tell this frankly to its voters, announce its withdrawal (from government), and return to armed confrontation. However, if it believes that it is also a political establishment that shares with the PA, whose house it has entered, the same principle, and that it is ready for responsible civilian governance and for assuming its responsibilities, then this is its opportunity."
What Mr. Al-Rashed is basically saying is that if Hamas wants to enter the political game according to the rules set forth by the PA and the principles of democracy; then it must do so or abandon the governmental project and remain in the violent struggle. Anything else, aside from being hypocritical, will simply endanger the achievements accomplished so far by the Palestinians, as the international isolation currently demonstrates. Now although Mr. Al-Rashed's words were written in response to the recent debacle in Jordan; there is no reason why they should not be applied to the Israeli situation. In both cases Hamas cannot deny Israel's right to exist on the one hand; and enter into a government of a Palestinian Authority created on the basis of co-existance with Israel on the other. It must decide.
Sweden's decision to allow "a private visit" of Hamas officials in the country simply allows Hamas to avoid that much needed decision, just like Russia's actions which we have previously discussed. This will definitely not contribute to the peace process one bit. Allowing Hamas to break away from its isolation and avoid the decision it must take, will simply allow Hamas to "dance on both weddings", leading to a very ugly divorce.
Tags:
Middle East, Hamas, Israel, Palestinians, Sweden, Peace, Terror, Russia, Europe.
In an op-ed published in the Arabic paper's english website under the title "Who's targeting Hamas" , Al-Arabia's general manager and the former editor in chief of the newspaper Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed writes that Hamas must choose its way of either violence or the assumption of civil duties as required by government. In his article he writes that:
"If Hamas, does not want to comply with governmental duties and the civilian concept of the state, and wants to sanctify armed struggle, then it becomes its duty to tell this frankly to its voters, announce its withdrawal (from government), and return to armed confrontation. However, if it believes that it is also a political establishment that shares with the PA, whose house it has entered, the same principle, and that it is ready for responsible civilian governance and for assuming its responsibilities, then this is its opportunity."
What Mr. Al-Rashed is basically saying is that if Hamas wants to enter the political game according to the rules set forth by the PA and the principles of democracy; then it must do so or abandon the governmental project and remain in the violent struggle. Anything else, aside from being hypocritical, will simply endanger the achievements accomplished so far by the Palestinians, as the international isolation currently demonstrates. Now although Mr. Al-Rashed's words were written in response to the recent debacle in Jordan; there is no reason why they should not be applied to the Israeli situation. In both cases Hamas cannot deny Israel's right to exist on the one hand; and enter into a government of a Palestinian Authority created on the basis of co-existance with Israel on the other. It must decide.
Sweden's decision to allow "a private visit" of Hamas officials in the country simply allows Hamas to avoid that much needed decision, just like Russia's actions which we have previously discussed. This will definitely not contribute to the peace process one bit. Allowing Hamas to break away from its isolation and avoid the decision it must take, will simply allow Hamas to "dance on both weddings", leading to a very ugly divorce.
Tags:
Middle East, Hamas, Israel, Palestinians, Sweden, Peace, Terror, Russia, Europe.
posted by The Middle East News Addict at 7:54 PM
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