|
|
|
|
Steven Emerson,
Executive Director
|
December 17, 2014
|
|
|
European
Court Orders Hamas' Removal from Terror List
by IPT News • Dec 17, 2014 at
11:35 am
|
|
|
|
|
Share:  
|
  Be the
first of your friends to like this.
Hamas must be taken off the European Union's terrorist list, a court ordered Wednesday, finding that it was not
based on direct evidence of Hamas action.
EU officials downplayed the ruling, with a statement from the EU
External Action Service saying it "is clearly based on procedural
grounds and it does not imply an assessment by the Court of the substantive
reasons for the designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization."
EU institutions were examining the ruling and "will decide on the
options open to them," the statement said. "They will, in due
course, take appropriate remedial action, including any eventual appeal to
the ruling. In case of an appeal the restrictive measures remain in
place."
The General Court of the European Union, the EU's second highest court,
said that the freeze on Hamas' assets will stay in place for three months
to allow time for further review or to appeal the decision. The Quartet,
which includes the EU, prohibits any engagement with Hamas until renounces
terrorism, recognizes Israel, and accepts prior Israeli-Palestinian
agreements.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement rejecting
the EU's rationale and demanded immediate action to correct the problem:
"We are not satisfied with the European Union's explanation that the
removal of Hamas from its list of terrorist organizations is a 'technical
matter'. The burden of proof is on the European Union and we expect it to
put Hamas back on the list forthwith given that it is understood by all
that Hamas - a murderous terrorist organization, the covenant
of which specifies the destruction of Israel as its goal - is an
inseparable part of this list. We will continue to fight Hamas with
strength and determination so that it never achieves this goal."
Hamas is recognized as terrorist organization by the United States,
Canada, and other Western nations. It continues to plot attacks targeting Israeli civilians.
At same time the EU claims the delisting of Hamas is a mere
"procedural" matter, the European Parliament backed the recognition of a Palestinian state "in
principle," after multiple votes in EU member states, the Times of
Israel reports.
The resolution accepts "in principle recognition of Palestinian
statehood and the two state solution, and believes these should go hand in
hand with the development of peace talks, which should be advanced"
and passed overwhelmingly.
|
The IPT accepts no funding from
outside the United States, or from any governmental agency or political or
religious institutions. Your support of The Investigative Project on
Terrorism is critical in winning a battle we cannot afford to lose. All
donations are tax-deductible. Click here to donate online. The
Investigative Project on Terrorism Foundation is a recognized 501(c)3
organization.
202-363-8602
- main
202-966-5191
- fax
|
|
Print
Send
Comment
RSS
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment