To grant a visa or not...(Hamas rep. visiting conference in Sweden)

[Stockholm]

Two important facts that will disappear in the emotional frenzy that is inevitable:

1. Hamas is on the EU list of terrorist organizations and that means there is a legal ban on the transfer of funds to the group, but the EU rules (which are implemented into Swedish legislation) do not involve travel restrictions.

2. Granting or denying visa applications to Sweden by a Swedish Consulate are done on an individual basis by civil servants observing Swedish legislation. The views of political parties, including the Prime Minister have no real short term bearing on the matter.

IMHO I find it refreshing when the rule of law wins over political populism. On the subject itself I think the rules should be changed to include travel restrictions. I support the ban on transfer of funds to Hamas, but I do think that transfer of humanitarian aid to the palestinian people should be allowed through NGO´s active in the area and at arms length from Hamas.

Israel fumes as Sweden grants visa (JP)

Sweden has broken ranks with the European Union and issued a visa to a Hamas minister, enraging Jerusalem and causing discomfort in some other European capitals.

On Wednesday, the same day that Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson said at a press conference in Finland that Sweden would not be issuing visas to two Hamas representatives, a Swedish diplomat told deputy directors-general of EU foreign ministries meeting in Brussels that Stockholm had issued a visa to Atef Adwan, a Hamas official and the Palestinian Authority's minister for refugees.

Senior sources in Jerusalem were outraged by the decision.

more http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=1&cid=1145961282207&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Israel expresses regret over Swedish visa for Hamas minister (Haaretz/Reuters)

Israel has expressed "its regret" over Sweden's decision to be the first European country to grant a visa to a Hamas minister, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev.

Palestinian officials said Thursday that Sweden had granted a visa to a Hamas minister. Swedish officials were not immediately available for comment.

"Israel believes the way to promote positive change in the Palestinian Authority is to resolutely support the quartet's benchmarks," said Regev. "Giving recognition to an unreformed terrorist cannot help that process."

The Palestinian minister for refugee affairs, Atef Odwan, said he had been granted the visa to attend a conference in Sweden on refugees, which will be held May 6-8.

more http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/712090.html

[MADem]

1. In the UK, they used to censor the voices of the IRA reps

You weren't allowed to hear them on TV, as if the voices would stir you, or contain a coded call to action--I never really understood their motives. So instead, they'd show film of the IRA leadership, and DUB IN the words of the people USING ACTORS, so it looked like you were looking at a bad foreign film or a movie with continuity and technical issues. That didn't work out too well, either.

They're never going to get anywhere without dialogue. And I rather doubt the Hamas Refugee Affairs minister is going to attend the conference wearing a suicide vest.