New York — The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has criticized the European Union’s (EU) foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, for declaring yesterday during his visit to Israel that Hamas does not want to destroy Israel but rather to “liberate the Palestinians.” In an interview in Tel Aviv, Solana claimed that it was “not impossible” for Hamas to change and “recognize the existence of Israel.” History had shown that people and nations “adapt to reality. I don’t want to lose hope.” Pressed as to whether he was underestimating the fundamentalist religious imperative at the heart of the Hamas ideology, Solana said, “I cannot imagine that the religious imperative, the real religious imperative, can make anybody destroy another country … Therefore that is an abuse of religion … I don’t think the essence of Hamas is the destruction of Israel. The essence of Hamas is the liberation of the Palestinians … The liberation of their people, not the destruction of Israel” ( Jerusalem Post , October 26).

Hamas is an Islamist terrorist group, listed on the US terrorism list. Its Charter calls for the murder of Jews (Article 7), the destruction of Israel (Article 15) and cites in support of its program the classic anti-Semitic forgery, The Protocol of the Elders of Zion (Article 32). Since September 2000, Hamas has killed more Israelis than any other Palestinian terrorist organization, murdering 442 Israeli men, women and children in scores of suicide bombings, drive-by shootings and missile assaults. Its first female candidate for Palestinian legislative elections last January, which it won, was Miriam Farhat, who is the mother of three suicide bombers and who has appeared on a Hamas video urging one of her sons to carry out a suicide attack .

The Hamas Charter also says that it is at war with the non-Muslim world, not only Jews, as part of a global campaign of jihad (Introduction). Christians are described as mostly iniquitous (Introduction) and bent on subverting the Islamic world (Article 15) while both the non-Muslim East and West as described as enemies united in “unbelief” (Article 22). Hamas declares that its respects and appreciates other jihad movements (Article 23) while condemning Christian missionaries and others for corrupting the Islamic world (Article 27).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “Given the published, known facts about Hamas and its activities, how does Javier Solana have the gall to say with a straight face that Hamas does not seek to destroy Israel but merely liberate Palestinians? Since Hamas sees the liberation of Palestinians as consisting of the elimination of Israel, that is a distinction without a difference. This is not only ZOA’s interpretation — it is what Hamas itself says. As its Charter clearly shows, Hamas is dedicated to nothing less than a genocidal war against the Jews. It can bring no stability except that of the grave.

“Javier Solana has proved by his own example that Israel cannot put its trust in the statements and policies of the EU. Solana has demonstrated by his own words that he has no understanding of the possibility that religion can be used to ferment murderous hatred and violence. Israel must never trust the judgment of people like Solana, who are either astonishingly naïve or malicious if not both. His statement, as foreign policy chief of the EU, is the best reason why the United States must put an end to attempting to forge a common policy towards the Arab war on Israel with the EU, UN and Russia, all of whom have proved their bias and lack of honesty in their dealings with Israel. If the Bush Administration wishes to work towards peace, win the war on terror and support a loyal ally like Israel, it must distance itself from the policies pressed by its Quartet partners, such as Solana, which only prolong the bloodshed and do nothing to bring peace.”