Hamas accuses West of 'blackmail'

[Violet_Crumble]

By Chris McGreal, Gaza City
March 9, 2006

PALESTINIAN Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has accused the United States and Europe of hypocrisy in threatening to slash aid to the occupied territories unless Hamas meets Western demands, while failing to hold Israel to a similar standard.

Hamas leaders describe pressure to recognise Israel, respect accords and renounce violence as "cheap blackmail" aimed at corralling them into a peace process they describe as a trap.

Mr Haniyeh said Israel had been allowed to repudiate peace accords and to lay the ground to unilaterally redraw its borders without sanction from foreign powers.

"They are not asking anything of Israel, that they recognise the 1967 borders or even the choice of the Palestinian people (in January's election). They should be making the same demands of them that they make of us. There is a double standard," Mr Haniyeh said.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/hamas-accuses-west-of-blackmail/2006/03/08/1141701574820.html

[bemildred]

1. Tsk, tsk. It's not "blackmail", it's "hypocrisy".

Nothing secret about it, it's right out in the open.