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July 11, 2003/Tamuz 11 5763, Vol. 55, No.46
European Union decides against freeze on Hamas
PHILIP CARMEL
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
PARIS - Under heavy pressure from France, the European Union has said it will not freeze all assets belonging to the Palestinian organization Hamas, stating that a clear distinction should be made between the political and social wings of the Islamist movement.
The European Commission, the E.U.'s legislative body, announced late last month that it would not be acting against the political wing of Hamas, although it would retain an E.U. ban enforced last year on Hamas' military branch, which it regards as a terrorist organization.
The commission view was confirmed on July 3 at a meeting of European ministers in Brussels, where a un-animous decision was made to delay a verdict on the political wing of Hamas.
Moreover, no date has been set to review the position.
The decision not to ban Hamas' political wing marks international uncertainty over whether it has a constructive role to play in Middle East peace talks - or whether it is simply a terrorist entity.
The decision marks a change in direction from the E.U. summit in Salonika, Greece, last month when it appeared that those backing a total ban were in a clear majority.
According to a statement from commission spokesman Reijo Kempinnen, Hamas' political wing is legitimate because it provided social welfare services such as running clinics and hospitals.
"You can't say that the whole of Hamas is a terrorist organization, and certainly that is not our position," Kempinnen told reporters in Brussels.
However, a more likely reason for the E.U. decision appeared to be that the union did not want to undermine the position of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas in his attempts to broker an agreement with Hamas.
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