Time to bring Hamas in from the cold

After three years of internal consultations, Hamas’ outgoing Politburo leader, Khaled Meshaal, unveiled Hamas’ Document of General Principles and Policies on 1 May 2017, laying out the movement’s policy positions on Israel.

Author says that the EU should welcome Hamas' new political platform and seize the opportunity to engage moderates within the movement.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Europe and the Palestinian Authority’s Authoritarian Drift http://www.europeansources.info/record/europe-and-the-palestinian-authoritys-authoritarian-drift/

EU: EEAS: West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA and the EU https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/1887/west-bank-and-gaza-strip-unrwa-and-eu_en

Hamas: A Document of General Principles and Policies, 1 May 2017 http://hamas.ps/en/post/678/a-document-of-general-principles-and-policies

The Guardian, 02.05.17: [Opinion] Why now is the time to talk to Hamas https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/02/hamas-charter-antisemitism

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