EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will visit Gaza as part of her two day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories this week, it was confirmed Monday. The unprecedented move, which according to a statement by her office, was ostensibly arranged in order for her to meet with UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) Commissioner General Filippo Grandi, implies recognition of internationally-designated Gaza rulers Hamas, who seized control of the Gaza Strip in a coup from their rival Fatah party. Fatah is led by the Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, who has received the full support of the West, whilst Hamas is outlawed by Israel, the US and the EU.
Ashton has led the EU’s repeated calls for an intra-Palestinian reconciliation between the PA and Hamas, under Abbas’ Leadership, which an EU foreign affairs council resolution last December concluded was “an important element for the unity of a future Palestinian state and for reaching a two-state solution”.
A statement on behalf of the EU foreign policy chief confirmed she will arrive in Jerusalem on Wednesday for a two day visit at the tail end of a wider tour of the region, where she will meet with Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, as well as Abbas and the newly-appointed PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, before travelling on to Gaza. A previous statement Friday revealed only that she would travel to Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories as part of her five day tour of the region.
In an official comment Ashton said: “This is a very timely visit to the region, coming against the backdrop of US efforts to restart the Middle East peace talks. I will explore the possibility to further support these efforts and for the Israelis and Palestinians to re-engage in efforts towards a negotiated solution.”
The news is likely to concern Israeli authorities, after Israel’s envoy to the EU David Walzer told a press briefing in Brussels earlier this month that Abbas’ position was being “undermined by all the events in the region”. Citing the fall of longtime authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, which sparked the Arab Spring movement, as the loss of the PA leader’s main supporter, he insisted that “with the fall of Mubarak in Egypt and with the coming to power of the Muslim Brotherhood, this strategic support was lost for the Palestinians”.
The Muslim Brotherhood leadership in Egypt, with whom Ashton is due to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday, has sought to nurture its relationship with Hamas since entering office, with whom it shares ideological similarities.
The Arab world, Walzer argued, has also shown itself to be more supportive of Hamas then Abbas and the PA, after the Emir of Gaza took the initiative to travel to the Strip last November, where he pledged $400 million in aid to Hamas, with Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan also due to make a long-awaited visit to Gaza this month.
Despite Abbas’ role as Palestinian leader being compromised by this apparent courting of Hamas, the Israeli Ambassador argued, “Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other players are all supporting Hamas and not the PA, Abu Mazen (Abbas)’s role as leader of the Palestinians is constantly under threat, he is undermined and is quite uncertain of what he can and cannot do”.