EU official met secretly with Hamas leader, expressed support for ongoing terror

In 2002, Alistair Crooke, the security adviser to the then EU special envoy for promoting the Mideast peace process, met with the Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the then leader of Hamas. As summed up by WorldNetDaily, Crooke “praised the terror organization’s work, blamed terrorism on ‘Israeli occupation,’ referred to Hamas militants as ‘freedom fighters’ and failed to contradict claims Israel was responsible for the September 11 attacks.” In 2004, the UN had denied that any such meeting had taken place. According to WND’s account, based on Hamas transcripts seized by Israel during a raid in Gaza in 2002:

[Crooke] told Yassin and the other top Hamas leaders present: “The main problem is the Israeli occupation,” explaining he understood it was impossible for Hamas to lower the level of violence unless Israel and the Palestinians were engaged in a political process.

Crooke reminded Yassin the Mitchel Report, an independent list of recommendations that had just been released and of which Crooke was a co-author, determined it was impossible for violence to cease without a foreseeable political solution.

Yassin responded he was satisfied with Crooke’s “understanding” that the source of violence in the Middle East is Israel’s “occupation,” which Yassin said refers to the entire state of Israel, founded in 1948, not just the West Bank, which Israel obtained following the 1967 Six Day War.

Let us underline the significance of this. The EU representative, in a secret meeting, told the head of the leading Palestinian terror group that their terror against Israel was justified and must continue, according to the shared understanding of the parties to the discussion, until Israel no longer exists.

We all knew that the EU is against Israel and for the Palestinians. But it’s a shock to realize how much. Perhaps it’s not a shock to Bat Ye’or, who argues in Eurabia that the EU had fully adopted the Palestinian position as far back as the 1970s.

Further, let us remember that Israel’s great friend President Bush recognizes the EU as part of the “Quartet” that is to referee the “roadmap” to Mideast “peace.” Come on conservatives! Come on neoconservatives! Keep cheering your man!

Posted by Lawrence Auster at April 15, 2005 08:53 AM | Send