The UK’s House of Lords debated whether Hamas should remain a designated terrorist organization yesterday afternoon with several prominent figures advocating for the issue to be reconsidered.
According to the Palestine Chronicle a question raised by Lord Raymond Hylton a cross bencher and peer who has met with Hamas officials in both besieged Gaza and the occupied West Bank pointed out that in light of the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas the situation of the group had changed significantly since it was first listed as a terror group.
“Would delisting not help all sides to be rather less intransigent than they have been up to now? Would it not build confidence among all Palestinians and help support their new Government of Unity?” he queried.
The request was once again echoed by Lord Frank Judd who argued that a distinction should be made between the military and political wings of Hamas Palestine Chronicle added.
“Is it not important to recognize in political terms that Hamas is a pluralist organization? Is it not vital to strengthen the more moderate elements within Hamas particularly at this time of reconciliation between the PLO and Hamas?”
The issue of the recognition of Palestine was also briefly addressed with Baroness Lindsey Northover a Liberal Democrat politician calling for the British Government to recognize the state of Palestine 100 years after the Balfour Declaration.
In an article published by The Sun daily on Wednesday UK’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson reportedly refused to reveal whether or not Britain is holding secretive talks with Hamas.
During the final weeks of the election race the Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn called for Hamas to be removed from Britain’s list of banned terror groups according to the Telegraph.
As the centennial anniversary of the Balfour Declaration approaches this month pro-Palestinian activists have asked Britain to apologize for its role in the creation of Israel which led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The request has been denied by senior British officials and UK Prime Minister Theresa May has promised to celebrate the anniversary with pride.
