WASHINGTON,
February 20, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Former US
president Jimmy Carter on Monday, February 20, cautioned the United
States and Israel against punishing the Palestinian people for electing
Hamas.
"During
this time of fluidity in the formation of the new government, it is
important that Israel and the United States play positive roles,"
Carter wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece.
"Any
tacit or formal collusion between the two powers to disrupt the process
by punishing the Palestinian people could be counterproductive and have
devastating consequences," warned the founder of the Carter Center, a
nonprofit public policy center dedicated to fighting disease, hunger,
poverty, conflict, and oppression around the world.
"Unfortunately,
these steps are already under way and are well known throughout the
Palestinian territories and the world," added Carter, who observed
last month's election.
Washington
has already asked the Palestinian Authority to return $50 million in US
aid on the ground it feared the money would go to Hamas.
On
Sunday, February 19, the US Treasury Department blocked the accounts of
the Islamic charity KindHearts, citing alleged links to Hamas, which the
US considers a "terrorist" organization.
The
US and EU have demanded that Hamas "renounce violence," disarm
and change its charter on the destruction of Israel or risk losing
foreign aid to a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority.
Carter
told CNN's Larry King on February 1 that Hamas deserved to be recognized
by the international community, and should be given a chance.
He
said the United States should not cut off aid to the Palestinian people,
but rather funnel it through third parties like the UN.
Aggravation
The
former US president also slammed Israel's decision to slap a package of
sanctions and restrictions against the Palestinian people.
"Perhaps
a greater aggravation by the Israelis is their decision to hinder
movement of elected Hamas Palestinian Legislative Council members
through any of more than a hundred Israeli checkpoints around and
throughout the Palestinian territories," he wrote.
Hamas
MPs, who swept last month's legislative polls with a stunning 74 seats
of the 132-seat legislature, had to watch the swearing-in proceedings of
the new parliament via video link rather than in person at the
Ramallah-based parliament after Israel refused to issue them travel
permits to the West Bank.
Israel
has further said it will prevent "any Hamas prime minister"
from traveling to the Ramallah-based seat of the Palestinian Authority.
Carter
further criticized the Israeli decision to halt monthly transfers of tax
revenues Israel collects on behalf of the PA, worth around 50 million
dollars.
"It
would not violate any political principles to at least give the
Palestinians their own money; let humanitarian assistance continue
through UN and private agencies."
Bank
of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer said earlier in the month that the
funds should be handed over to the Palestinians.
Fanning
Violence
 |
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Pundits expect Arabs to resist Rice's pressures to isolate Hamas. (Reuters)
|
Carter
warned that the aggressive Israeli policies against the Palestinians
will definitely fan violence.
"This
common commitment to eviscerate the government of elected Hamas
officials by punishing private citizens may accomplish this narrow
purpose, but the likely results will be to alienate the already
oppressed and innocent Palestinians, to incite violence, and to increase
the domestic influence and international esteem of Hamas," he said.
"If
Israel is willing to include the Palestinians in the process, (President
Mahmoud) Abbas can still play this unique negotiating role as the
unchallenged leader of the PLO," Carter added.
The
former US leader further encouraged Russia, Egypt and other parties
concerned to "exert maximum influence on Hamas to moderate its
negative policies; and support President Abbas in his efforts to ease
tension, avoid violence and explore steps toward a lasting peace."
Abbas
was expected to hold talks Monday with Ismail Haniya, a senior Hamas
leader named by the group to form the new government, on cabinet
formation.
Backfire
Meanwhile,
pundits expect US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to face resistance
from Arab allies on isolating Hamas.
Rice,
who will visit Egypt on Tuesday and travel to Saudi Arabia and to a
regional meeting in the United Arab Emirates, will lobby states to deny
aid to a Hamas-led government.
"Arabs
will turn round and point out the United States gives billions of
dollars to Israel," Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, told Reuters
Monday.
Rice
has led a faltering campaign to cut off diplomatic ties and aid to the
resistance group since its landslide victory in last month's legislative
polls.
She
told Arab media in an interview previewing her message to the region
that money for Hamas would undercut the Arab governments' goal of an
Israeli-Palestinian peace.
"It's
just an area where they will have to agree to disagree," said the
American expert.
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