Jordan Times Editorial *- The Jordan Times, May 5-6, 2006

Amman - International envoy James Wolfensohn may have summed it all when he described the recent decision of Western powers to cut off all but humanitarian aid to the Palestinians as disastrous.

In his final report, submitted on the occasion of his decision to step down from his post as mediator for peace in the Middle East on behalf of the Quartet — EU, UN, U.S. and Russia — Wolfensohn questioned the radical steps taken by Western capitals to punish the Hamas-led government in the Palestinian territories. The measures will end up starving the entire Palestinian population, amounting to collective punishment for exercising a democratic right.

“It would surprise me”, said the departing envoy, “if one could win by getting all kids out of school or starving the Palestinians.”

This unfair, ominous situation is “a losing gambit”, said the former envoy with foresight. More like a deadly move, one would say.

Economists now predict that the sanctions being applied against the new Palestinian government would end up raising unemployment by 47 per cent and poverty by 74 per cent. Per capita growth in the Palestinian territories is projected to drop by 27 per cent during this year alone. To be sure, there must be many other, more reasonable, ways to deliver a message to Hamas that its policies are not acceptable by the international community! Starving an entire people is not.

Even at the height of sanctions imposed on Iraq by the UN Security Council, people were not deprived of food and medicine.

One would hope that the Western capitals that are spearheading the campaign against Hamas will be able to figure out ways and means to drive home their point both effectively and reasonably. They should take time to reconsider their approach in a more humane, “politically correct” way.

The spread of disease and hunger among the Palestinians will be rightfully blamed on these Western countries. If not for fear of having to bear this heavy responsibility, they should at least take into consideration the fact that the consequences would be playing into the hands of Hamas and not against it.

A self-defeating move.

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* This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews)