AL QUDS, Dec 18: Israel on Sunday renewed its campaign for Hamas to be barred from running in next month’s Palestinian parliamentary polls after the group’s strong showing in last week’s local elections. Ron Prosor, director general of the foreign ministry, urged the European Union to follow the example of the US House of Representatives which passed a resolution on Friday that Hamas should not be permitted to participate in Palestinian polls until it recognizes the Jewish state’s right to exist.

“We hope that the countries of the European Union will follow the example set by the House of Representatives with regards to Hamas, and have made contacts to this effect,” Prosor told public radio.

“Whoever advocates the destruction of the state of Israel should not be allowed to participate in the political process.”

Having boycotted the last and to date only parliamentary elections a decade ago, Hamas is fielding candidates at the polls in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on January 25.

Israeli calls for Hamas to be barred from the process had been muted since it became apparent that the United States, which includes Hamas on its list of terrorist organisations, was holding off from making such a demand to the moderate Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.

However the resolution in Congress and the strong showing of Hamas in local elections last week, when it won control of three of the main West Bank cities, has added new impetus to the campaign.

Prosor said that EU countries should cut back on aid to the Palestinian Authority if Hamas, which has been behind the majority of anti-Israeli attacks over the past five years, were to join the democratic process.

“We want countries who donate to the Palestinian Authority to increase their levels of aid,” said Prosor.

“But we are also asking that these countries demand of Mahmud Abbas that he dismantle the terrorist organisations and make him understand that any kind of support for Hamas will cost the Palestinians very dearly.”—AFP