Terror list removal may soften Hamas

Hamas has been in a state of euphoria since Dec. 17, when the European Union’s General Court decided to remove it from the EU's list of terrorist organizations, where it had spent 11 years.

Immediately after the EU decision, which is subject to appeal, Hamas leaders rushed to welcome it. Chief among them was Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas’ political bureau, who said Dec. 17 that the decision is a step in the right direction and corrects a previous mistake. He said including Hamas on the list was not based on objective facts and conflicted with the right of peoples to resist occupation. According to Meshaal, since Hamas’ establishment 27 years ago, the movement has conducted nothing but legitimate resistance against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, told Al-Monitor in a phone interview from Doha, “The EU decision is a legal victory for Palestinian rights. It exposes the suspicious, hostile actions against the Palestinian people, as putting Hamas on the terrorist list was an injustice to the movement of national liberation.”

Lawyer Khaled al-Shuli, Hamas’ representative in the case, confirmed from Paris in a phone interview with Al-Monitor, “The decision is legally binding on the EU, as it was issued by a competent judicial body that has jurisdiction binding on member states. It is difficult for the EU to revoke it, given the complicated conditions that it contains and that do not apply to Hamas.