America's Version of DEMOCRACY for the Middle East
Read here original article by Abraham Rabinovich "All Palestinian parties have the right to participate. Otherwise, the elections wouldn't be democratic."
The US House of Representatives threatened to halt financial aid to the Palestinian Authority if Hamas participates in parliamentary elections next month.
The US House of Representatives last week voted 397-17 to cut off support for the Palestinians if Hamas participates in the elections, unless Hamas recognises Israel's right to exist, halts terror and dismantles its armed infrastructure.
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the international community to pressure the White House to keep it from complying with the congressional resolution.
The Palestinian spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudaineh, said,
The ruling Fatah party's dominance is threatened by Hamas's mounting popularity.
The director-general of Israel's Foreign Ministry, Ron Prosor, said the participation of Hamas "would totally collapse the peace process".
Israel has hitherto adopted an ambiguous position on the issue.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said earlier in the year that he would prevent Hamas's participation in the elections unless it disarmed and dropped its call for Israel's destruction.
This position changed after the US administration indicated it would not actively oppose Hamas's participation.
Mr Sharon's subsequent position was that Israel would not attempt to stop Hamas participation but that it would "not assist" the Palestinians on election day.
A congressional decision to outflank the White House and stop funding and other assistance is taken seriously by the Palestinians and confronts them with a major dilemma.
On the one hand, popular support for Hamas in the elections might actually increase to demonstrate defiance of outside interference in an internal Palestinian matter.
On the other, the Palestinians are in desperate need of economic assistance and also regard Washington as their best hope for a restraining hand on Israel.
Some Palestinian officials suggested yesterday that the elections should be postponed in view of the threat raised in Washington, but this was vigorously opposed by others.
Hamas's reaction was relatively restrained.
"We reject any external intervention in the Palestinian elections because this is an internal affair," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in the Gaza Strip.
The US position, he said, violated the principles of democracy, which permit all citizens to vote freely.
In a surprise result in municipal elections on the West Bank last week, Hamas made a spectacular showing in areas where Fatah had formerly prevailed, winning by a wide margin in three of four cities.
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