Militants urged to renounce violence and recognise Israel

WORLD leaders, uneasy at the prospect of a Hamas-led Palestinian government, immediately exerted pressure on the Islamic militants to recognise Israel and renounce violence.

That a group listed as a terrorist organisation 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 recognise Israel’s right to exist, and planned meetings to co-ordinate their response.

A senior MEP, Elmar Brok, warned of a possible cut-off 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 US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, adding that, for the US, Hamas is still a terrorist organisation.

“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.”

Tony Blair’s spokesman was blunt: “We can only do business with people who renounce terrorism.” Concern crossed political divides, with traditional supporters of the Palestinian cause, such as Italy’s centre-left opposition, among those expressing concern.

Ms Rice was due to meet in London on Monday with UN, Russian and European leaders as the so-called “Quartet” evaluates the election results and tries to decide how to proceed with peacemaking efforts.

In the Arab and Islamic worlds, some were jubilant. Hamas’s 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.