The proscription of Hamas
JVL Introduction
As lawyers attempt to challenge the proscription of Hamas as a terrorist organisation in the UK, we repost this written submission made to the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs for “The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” inquiry in February 2025,
In it, Prof Jeroen Gunning, one of the world’s leading experts on Hamas, argues strongly that proscription of Hamas is counter-productive.
He points out how this designation has already hampered the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza; contributed to dehumanising Gazans more broadly; created additional obstacles to a political solution; and is in conflict with the UK’s support for a two-state solution and with its international obligations.
It is a model of clear thinking on a subject fraught with emotion, where the very designation of Hamas as a terrorist organisation is being used to prevent any discussion as to the basis of this label or its political effectivity.
We repost the summary and preamble of the report and a link to download the full submission. We have introduced additional paragraph breaks to facilitate reading a text that is rather densely laid out in the on-line version.
RK
This article was originally published by House of Commons Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wed 5 Feb 2025. Read the original here.
Written evidence submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs’ for “The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” inquiry (IPC0109)
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Long overdue.
Probably the most intelligent and honest appraisal of Hamas, Israel and the UK government’s approach yet presented to Parliament …
I’m slightly uneasy about this sentence “Deproscription [of Hamas] should be made conditional on a continued cessation of violence and participation in political negotiations towards a Palestinian state”.
A cessation of Israel’s “violence” against Gaza, blockade and unwillingness to negotiate the two state solution on the 1967 borders is necessary at the same time. Hamas can’t be required to forgo “violence” (its only effective means of defending the Gazan population against a pitiless enemy) if Israel continues to use it.
Those that call Hamas the Terrorists, never mention this.
75 years of Nakba, murders, Farms & Villages Bulldozed, massive Land theft, the creation of the World’s Largest Concentration Camp in Gaza, which they bomb regularly killing 1000s, 9000 prisoners in Israeli prisons, 160 are children many never charged and Hamas are the Terrorists 🙄
It seems we must always accept the suggestion of the good offices of the Imperialist and ex-imperialist powers, the US and the UK. We must follow the definitions of the two states who waged an illegal war in Iraq and whose double-dealing in Afghanistan ended in such Saigon-like ignominy.
Similarly, we blink to see the word “conflict” used to describe the most disparate two forces in any modern war and the two-state solution (solution to what?) waved through, since it is ” the only solution to have wide international backing.” Is this the same international grouping supplying Israel with material and political weaponry to conduct a genocide?
Nevertheless, grateful for small mercies, I consider the de-proscribing of Hamas to be a welcome step that should be taken (Sir Jeremy Greenstock challenged the discourse on Hamas 16 years ago) if only to stop the UK Police grabbing anybody who even uses the acronym for the Islamic Resistance movement.
I agree with both Frances and Linda.
Re my last comment – I was unduly suspicious!
Prof Gunning’s submission to the Parliamentary committee explains the UK’s policies towards Israel, the Palestinians, Hamas and the PLO have been consistently wrong and unrealistic. He outlines the policy changes needed. I think we’d agree with all of them.
I wonder whether Parliamentary committee support for Gunning’s submission is behind the (welcome) Board of Deputies’ public change of heart towards Israel’s onslaught against Gaza?