Board statement on EU Council of Ministers and Hamas

The Board of Deputies welcomes the decision by the Council of Ministers of the European Union to appeal against the EU General Court’s decision to remove Hamas from the list of designated terrorist organisations.

Vice President and Chairman of the International Division of the Board Alex Brummer said: “During Operation Protective Edge Hamas once again showed the world that it is prepared to go to any lengths to attack indiscriminately civilian populations in Israel including the embedding of weapons systems in or near to schools and hospitals. Just this morning Hamas labelled the stabbing of several innocent Israelis on a bus in Tel Aviv by a terrorist as ‘heroic’. Hamas should never have been removed from the list in the first place and we hope that this situation will be rectified upon appeal. We commend the European Jewish Congress on all its work in ensuring that this issue remains on top of the agenda in Brussels.”