Catherine Ashton, the EU’s “high representative” for foreign affairs, demanded “an immediate, sustained and unconditional opening” of the Gaza blockade. This is especially noteworthy.
Until High Representative Ashton’s demand to end the blockade, the EU had been party to a clear, explicit policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian impasse. Since 2002, a group known as the Quartet—consisting of the EU, Russia, the U.S. and the U.N., with Tony Blair as its current special envoy—has said that no one could deal with Hamas, the occupier of Gaza, until Hamas fulfilled three conditions: Recognize Israel’s right to exist. Renounce violence. Accept agreements already made by previous Palestinian negotiators.
Hamas hasn’t met any of those conditions. After Ms. Ashton’s outburst, it knows it doesn’t have to.
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