The European Union foreign ministers's decision yesterday to continue funding the Palestinian Authority in the wake of Hamas's election victory is welcome because of the terms it sets about the ending of their armed struggle with Israel.
The EU last year contributed €500 million to the poverty-stricken Palestinians, much to support the authority's administration and the territory's infrastructure. It has not followed the United States in cutting off all but humanitarian aid.
Clearly, the administration that will probably be formed in the next couple of weeks will, like it or not, have the most democratic mandate of any Arab state in the Middle East. And that is the problem for Europe. The Palestinian people chose the hard line hate agenda, overwhelmingly, which is not amenable to moderation and reason. Yet, for the EU to close the door so quickly would almost certainly propel the new administration to embrace the Iranian agenda towards Israel.
EU ministers said they expect the new Palestinian Legislative Council to back the creation of a government "committed to a peaceful and negotiated solution of the conflict with Israel". "On this basis the EU stands ready to continue to support Palestinian economic development and democratic state-building." A reference to "sound financial management" was, regrettably, the only real caution indicating that Brussels will watch carefully how every cent is spent.
In his appeal for continued financial support, the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh insisted that "this income will be used to pay the salaries of [government] employees and fund daily running costs and infrastructure. You can confirm this through a mechanism that can be agreed upon." And he warned, much as Gerry Adams once did, against ultimatums on issues like decommissioning that take no account of the realities of local politics - even triumphant Hamas is a prisoner of its own constituency.
Fatah-backed president Mahmoud Abbas, went yet further: "Our readiness for negotiations on the final status [of a Palestinian state] still stands. We stand by our political and security commitments in line with agreements we have signed." If it proves he can speak for a new Hamas-led administration in this regard, as some Hamas officials have hinted in recent days, it is an important assurance. If true, perhaps we may see demonstrated in Palestinian politics what many have contended of Israel, that the necessary deals for peace can only be made by those with the most impeccable hard-line credentials like Ariel Sharon, who can be trusted not to sell out.