John Howard backs calls for Hamas to renounce violence

John Howard

CANBERRA - The Australian government has joined other Western nations in calling for the militant Hamas group, elected in a landslide victory in Palestine, to renounce terrorism.

Hamas swept to power in elections on Thursday, leaving the long-dominant Fatah party in its wake, taking 72 seats to Fatah's 43 in the 132-seat parliament.

Israel immediately ruled out dealing with any Hamas government.

US President George W Bush followed suit and said he would not deal with an armed terrorist group that advocated Israel's destruction, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Fatah would not join a Hamas-led regime.

Yesterday Prime Minister John Howard joined France and the UK in calling on the group to renounce violence.

Mr Howard said that while he accepted the election result, Australia remained totally committed to the preservation of Israel.

"Hamas has been democratically elected and that fact has to be accepted," Mr Howard said.

"But Hamas in return has got to accept that you can't simultaneously behave like a democratically-elected government and support terrorism.

"And from the Australian government's point of view there will be absolutely no change at all in our total commitment to the preservation of the state of Israel."

Having Hamas in power would not improve diplomatic relations with Palestine, but he hoped the group would moderate its position when it took power.

"Certainly having a government that believes in terrorism is no help, but I would hope that, with the responsibility of government, Hamas may moderate its position," he said.

But Palestine's envoy in Australia, Ali Kazak, said Hamas' popularity could partly be attributed to the West's appeasement of Israel.

"It is time the United States and other Western countries, Australia included, realise that the radicalisation of the region has been brought about by their appeasement and support of Israel's extremist government, occupation and gross violations of international law and human rights," Mr Kazak said in a statement.

He said promises by Western nations that Israel would recognise Palestinian rights and withdraw from its territories, occupied in 1967, were not honoured.

Australia's Jewish community, meanwhile, said there was hope for Hamas yet.

"If they change their policies to become a purely political organisation then they do offer the Palestinian people a genuine alternative," Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Grahame Leonard said.

"They seem to be much less corrupt then the existing ruling (party) and they seem to be far more concerned with providing the Palestinian people with the necessary public services and infrastructure which is so essential to the long term success of the Palestinian state."

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said the election was "open, free and fair" but the result was "disastrous".

"We recognise the state of Israel and the Israelis' right to live in secure and recognised boundaries," he told Macquarie radio.

"The Hamas position is not acceptable."

- AAP/REUTERS