While many diplomats in the European Union are hailing the unity agreement between Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas as a necessary step for peace, the EU’s Ambassador to Israel qualified that praise with a stark reminder of the nature of Hamas.

In remarks made to the Israeli news site Walla (Hebrew link), Ambassador Lars Faaborg-Andersen said:

“Reconciliation was necessary for the holding of long overdue elections that are vital for ensuring the development of a culture of democratic accountability in a future Palestinian state. As far as Hamas is concerned, I don’t see any difference between our position and Israel’s. It is a terrorist organization and will remain so as long as it is committed to violence.”

The unity agreement between Fatah and Hamas effectively ended the negotiations that had been spearheaded by Secretary of State John Kerry for the past nine months. Fatah’s alliance with Hamas, an unrepentant terrorist organization, subjects it to possible political and diplomatic consequences. While there is a consensus that a unified Palestinian leadership is necessary for peace, leaders of Hamas insist that the terrorist organization still won’t recognize Israel and that Hamas’s political program will be an essential part of any unity government.

[Photo: TheJerusalemCenter / YouTube ]