(AP/Washington Post) Josef Federman - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned Sunday that the EU could halt tens of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians if the militant Hamas group wins next month's Palestinian elections and fails to renounce violence. "All the political parties have the right to be part of the elections, but there is a certain code of conduct that has to be accepted by everybody," Solana said in Tel Aviv. A Palestinian government that includes a party that fails to renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist could not continue to receive EU funding, he said. "It would be very difficult for the help and the money that goes to the Palestinian Authority to continue to flow," he said. The Palestinians receive about $1 billion a year in international aid - about half the PA's budget - and EU assistance is slated to reach $312 million in 2006.
2005-12-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive