RIVA DEL GARDA, Italy, 7 September 2003 — European Union foreign ministers said yesterday that the bloc will declare all wings of Hamas a terrorist organization.
The EU had previously blacklisted only the group’s military arm, Izzedine Al-Qassam Brigades. But it agreed yesterday to add Hamas political offshoots, fund-raising charities and social welfare groups to the blacklist after the Aug. 19 Jerusalem bus bombing that killed 20 people.
Officials at the EU head office will meet tomorrow to discuss details of the blacklisting and they were expected to make the decision formal in coming weeks.
A Hamas official decried the EU decision. Ismail Haniya was speaking to Arabic television Al-Jazeera after an Israeli assassination attempt against himself and Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in the Gaza Strip.
“Let the world and let the EU, which is discussing placing Hamas on the terrorist list, witness this attack. We say to the Europeans you must be just and place the Zionist enemy on the top of the global terrorist group list,” Haniya said.
Israel praised the move. “Foreign Minister Shalom said recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization removes it from the circle of legitimate negotiating partners, shuts down its financiers and is an important contribution to the war on terrorism and not only in our region,” his office said. “There is a clear statement here by the European Union foreign ministers that anyone who uses terrorism does not have a place in the family of nations.”
France long opposed a tougher stance on Hamas, wary of cutting off avenues of negotiation with Palestinians and saying targeting Hamas could hurt the group’s social services for Palestinians. De Villepin said enforcement of an assets freeze or a ban on suspected Hamas offshoots would be a “voluntary” decision for individual EU nations.
The EU foreign ministers, ending a two-day meeting on Lake Garda in the Italian Alps, also reacted with dismay to the decision by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to submit his resignation.
French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said Israel and the Palestinians must remain committed to the road map.
