Ambassador: Crossing Hamas off terrorist organizations' list to spur inter-Palestinian reconciliation
MOSCOW. Dec 30 (Interfax) - The European Court's decision to remove Hamas from the list of terrorist organizations is bound to encourage the leaders of this movement to advance towards inter-Palestinian reconciliation, Palestinian Ambassador in Moscow Fayed Mustafa said.
"We welcome the decision of the European Court to cross Hamas off the list of terrorist organizations and hope that this decision will prompt Hamas to make progress on the path of reconciliation and to end the split [between Hamas and Fatah]," he said in an interview with Interfax.
As to parliamentary resolutions urging a number of European governments to recognize the independence of Palestine, he said, "We are happy with progress in the position of some European countries regarding the recognition of an independent Palestinian state."
"We value high the attitude of Sweden, which set a related precedent. We also value the position of parliaments in a number of European countries which voted for the recognition of rights of the Palestinian people and the creation of an independent Palestinian state by an absolute majority or even unanimously," he continued.
In the opinion of the Palestinian diplomat, the Europeans have two reasons for taking this position.
"First of all, there is a clear Palestinian position, a clear political language which President Mahmoud Abbas speaks and which is based on international lawfulness and international law," he said.
"The other reason is discontent with the Israeli policy expressed in one form or another as this policy can no longer be defended or excused by any Israeli supporter in the world. This is the position of Israel because of which it daily violates international laws and behaves as a state which sets itself above the law," Mustafa said.
A full text of the interview will be posted on the www.interfax.ru website.