Hamas urges EU to continue aid to Palestinians

Gaza, Apr 10: Hamas yesterday appealed to European Union Foreign Ministers to reconsider an EU Commission decision to freeze aid to the new Palestinian government led by the Islamic militant group.

''Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar urged EU foreign ministers who are going to meet on Monday to continue to provide aid to the Palestinian people,'' a statement issued by his office said.

''Dr Zahar urged countries of the European Union to respect the democratic choice of the Palestinian people ... and not to take steps that could harm Palestinian citizens.'' In the statement, Zahar said the EU's credibility among Palestinians and in the Muslim world as a whole would be hurt if it ''fought against the democratic choice'' of Palestinian voters.

Foreign ministers of the 25-nation EU are to meet in Luxembourg on Monday to discuss aid to the Palestinian Authority following Hamas's election victory in January.

The EU Commission said it had halted payments to the Palestinian government because the new cabinet had not recognised Israel's right to exist or renounced violence. Hamas' charter officially calls for Israel's destruction.

''For the time being, there are no payments to or through the Palestinian Authority,'' Emma Udwin, a spokeswoman for the Commission, the EU's executive arm, said on Friday.

She said the Commission was adopting a ''policy of maximum prudence'' which did not prejudge decisions by foreign ministers of the bloc.

DIRECT AID EU diplomats said the freeze covered all direct aid to the Palestinian government and payment of public employees' salaries with EU funds through the World Bank, but not humanitarian aid through international and non-government organisations.

The EU transfers 500 million euros (600 million dollars) a year to the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinian officials have said aid cuts would make it difficult for the government to pay the salaries of 140,000 employees or meet other needs.

Norway today said it was also freezing aid to the Palestinian Authority, saying it did not aim to punish Palestinians for their choice of government but that it could not support an administration regardless of its policies.

Zahar called Oslo's move ''a hasty decision that will damage European-Arab relations'' and said he hoped Norway would reconsider.

''Political blackmail against our people and their government to make political concessions is unjustified and rejected by the Palestinian people,'' he said.

Norway currently gives around million a year in aid to the Palestinian Authority.

Zahar had said on Friday he would write to EU foreign ministers on the aid issue as early yesterday. It was not immediately clear why he decided to draft a statement to the media instead.

REUTERS

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