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Bush Imposes Financial Blockade On Hamas
Saeda Hamad Al-Hayat 2003/08/23
Jerusalem
President George W. Bush escalated his campaign against Hamas and imposed a financial blockade on the group. This is the first of such step, which could negatively affect Egyptian and European diplomatic efforts aiming to stop the deterioration, renew the truce and save the Roadmap.
Yesterday, amidst a mood of tension and calls for revenge, Gaza witnessed one of its largest demonstrations with more than 100,000 Palestinians participated in the funeral Hamas leader Ismail Abu Shanab and his two companions, whom Israel assassinated two days earlier.
In a statement released by the White House, Bush declared that his administration decided to freeze the assets of six of Hamas' highest leaders and five groups based in Europe on the charge of supporting the movement. He called upon "all nations supportive of peace in the Middle East to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization and to take all appropriate actions to deny it support." Bush's position is a dangerous development, for it comes in tandem with Israeli escalation against the movement and even encourages it. At the same time, it deals a severe blow to the efforts made for calming.
Egypt interfered as a mediator and sent President Husni Mu
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| Palestinians at Abu Shanab's funeral in Gaza. (AP) |
After meeting with President Yasser Arafat and his Prime Minister Mahmood Abbas, Al Baz warned of disastrous consequences should the escalation continue, asking to stop the deterioration and go back to the directives set by the Roadmap. Palestinian Foreign Minister Dr. Nabil Shaath said that the Palestinians asked Al Baz to try and convince the factions to go back on their statement canceling the truce, or move towards a new truce with clear bases binding Israel and the Palestinians to stop their attacks, blockade and assassinations and implement their part of the Roadmap.
Israeli sources revealed that Al Baz asked Israel, during his meeting with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, to give the PA more time to pressure Hamas and Jihad. Israel had suspended assassination operations for 24 hours to give the Authority the chance to move against the factions of the armed resistance.
However, Palestinian sources confirmed to Al-Hayat that the Israeli escalation leaves no chance for the Authority to take strict measures against Hamas. Basically because it is trying to avoid internal fighting, especially after it was proven that Israel does not want peace or implementing the Roadmap.
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer initiated within the European Union to save the Roadmap. He declared, after his meeting with the European envoy to the Middle East that the EU "would do all it can with its Atlantic allies along with Israel and the Palestinian Authority and the neutral Arab nations to activate the political operation." He said that the first thing to be done is for the Palestinian Authority to take serious steps against terrorism, inviting the two conflicting parties "to restrain themselves." Israel pledged yesterday to continue its war "without rest" against the Palestinian organizations, pointing that it has a long list of assassinations. Meanwhile, the army divided Gaza into three parts and delved into Beit Jala and Beit Sahour and vandalized the old city of Nablus where it later surrounded the Rafidiya Hospital.
On the other hand, Arafat was back in the picture despite Israel's efforts to isolate him internationally. Yedioth Ahronoth reported on its website that Israel is ready to "give Arafat full freedom of movement if he gives up control on the Palestinian security agencies," which the Palestinian President refused. Palestinian sources confirmed there is no conflict between Arafat and his Prime Minister in this matter.