Coalition parties Christian democrat CDA, ChristenUnie and Labour PvdA are divided on whether Palestinian prime minister and Hamas party member Ismail Haniyeh should be granted a visa to attend a gathering in the Netherlands.
CDA and ChristenUnie do not think he should be issued permission to enter the country. The PvdA thinks he should be granted permission to come to address the gathering as prime minister, but not as a private individual, MP Martijn van Dam said on Monday.
Haniyeh has been invited to Rotterdam for the Palestinian-European conference on the fate of Palestinian refugees planned for 5 May. He has not applied for a visa yet, but if he should do so then the Netherlands plans to refuse his application, Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said on Saturday. Hamas is on the European list of terrorist organisations. The Palestinian government does not recognise the state of Israel and refuses to denounce violence against Israel. This is why Verhagen wants only to hold talks with individual members of the Palestinian government who do satisfy these requirements, so as to support the moderate tendencies in the regime.
The Dutch government on Monday ruled out a visit by Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, saying he will not get a visa because the European Union considers his Hamas party a terrorist group.
| Hey look! A spine! Where'd they find that in Y'urp? |
Haniyeh's office contacted the Dutch government to enquire about documents needed to request a visa as the Palestinian premier wanted to attend a conference on the Palestinians and Europe in Rotterdam on May 5, a spokesman for the Dutch Foreign Ministry said. "He will not be granted a visa, should he request one officially," the spokesman said. "Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation by the European Union."
| Thank goodness someone in Europe thinks that. |
"It is consistent not only to avoid contact with Hamas ministers but also not to let them come to the Netherlands or anywhere else in Europe and spread the message of Hamas," he added.
The European Union has a policy of avoiding contacts with Hamas ministers.
| Sorta. Kinda. They'd like to talk, really, except they're afraid of the backlash. |
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