Jack Straw gives pandering a bad name

The blood is not yet dry on the sidewalks and pavement of Tel Aviv, and Jack Straw does this.

May we officially say that the Quartet is dead and just get on with drawing the lines on the map?

Straw softens tone as he offers Hamas financial lifeline:

Britain wants to have "normal relations" with Hamas and is seeking means of unfreezing millions of pounds worth of aid to Palestinians, Jack Straw said yesterday, in a striking softening of tone.

Two days after a Palestinian suicide bombing killed nine people in Tel Aviv, the Foreign Secretary appeared to be moving away from America's policy of isolating the new Hamas-led Palestinian government and starving it of funds.

He also appeared to adopt a more indulgent attitude towards the Islamist movement than Tony Blair...

...The Foreign Secretary is said to believe that re-writing the Hamas charter, which calls for the destruction of Israel, is not a precondition for dialogue.

Even on the issue of renouncing violence, Mr Straw appears to have set the bar quite low.

It is understood that Mr Straw could accept silence from Hamas on the question of violence, leaving it to the moderate Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to denounce the suicide bombers.

Denials of any change in policy from the UK's embassy in Israel are less than convincing to these ears.

British policy towards Hamas unchanged:

British Ambassador to Israel Simon McDonald stressed on Thursday that there was no change in British policy towards contact with Hamas. "We still believe in the three conditions outlined by the Quartet," said McDonald. "Hamas must recognize Israel's right to exist, give up violence and abide by existing agreements."

Meanwhile, Lord Levy met with Mahmud Abbas as though the Palestinian elections didn't happen and Hamas was not voted into power.

Blair envoy holds talks with Palestinian leader:

Tony Blair's Middle East envoy, Lord Levy, delivered a letter to Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas outlining proposals to revive the moribund peace process.

"The letter contains ways to unfreeze the peace process and the role that Britain can play in this regard," the director of Abbas's office, Rafiq al-Husseini, told reporters after Levy met with Abbas.

The Palestinian elections did happen.

Hamas was voted into power.

There is no peace process.

Send in the grave diggers already.

Posted on 20 April 2006 @ 20:02 GMT