The European Union’s second highest court ruled Wednesday that Hamas must be removed from the EU’s terrorism blacklist over a technicality, though it kept measures in place allowing for a continued freezing of funds to the group for three months.
The decision came just four months after Hamas launched thousands of rockets at Israeli communities and days after its anniversary celebrations included a militaristic display glorifying terrorism against Jews.
Hamas hailed the decision as a “triumph” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected the EU to put Hamas back on the blacklist immediately.
Palestinian Hamas movement organized on Sunday an elaborate military parade in Gaza City to commemorate the passage of 27 years since its foundation, and also demonstrated Qassam rockets for the first time. Hundreds of masked fighters from the group's military wing, the Ezzedin Al-Qassam Brigades, marched through the city's main roads holding locally-manufactured and other rifles as well as mortar shells. (Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The General Court of the European Union said in a statement that the EU’s blacklisting of Hamas in 2001 wasn’t based on acts that were "examined and confirmed" by authorities but on "factual imputations derived from the press and the Internet."
Reuters reported that though the court annulled the EU’s decision to keep Hamas on the terrorism list, it “temporarily maintained the measures for a period of three months or until an appeal was closed.”
"Thanks to the European court for its decision, which is a triumph for all the supporters of our people's right to resistance and the supporters of liberation and salvation from all aspects of colonialism," senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouq told the Palestinian news agency Ma'an.
Netanyahu posted on Twitter, “We're not satisfied w/ the EU's explanation that the removal of Hamas from its list of terrorist orgs is a 'technical matter.’”
“The burden of proof is on the EU and we expect them to immediately return Hamas to the list where everyone realizes they should be,” Netanyahu said. “Hamas is a murderous terrorist organization whose charter says that its aim is to destroy Israel. We will continue to fight it with determination and strength so that it will never realize its aims."
Israeli politicians from left to right slammed the EU decision.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said, "The corrupt law of the EU court gives license for the shedding of Jewish blood everywhere and demonstrates the loss of a moral path."
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said that the European Union "must have lost its mind."
Earlier Wednesday, an Israeli government spokesman said that Israel expected the EU to “get its act together” to reverse the decision.
Paul Hirschson, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, told TheBlaze by phone, “It’s a technical thing. ... The implementation of the decision is suspended for three months in order to allow the EU to get its act together and make an appeal and correct their error.”
“The court didn’t rule on the substance of the case,” Hirschson maintained. “There was a procedural error in the recognition of Hamas, and there can’t be procedural errors so they have to correct that.”
“Hopefully the Europeans will address it quickly and promptly,” the Israeli spokesman said, adding, “As far as Israel is concerned, Hamas is a terror organization … a very dark and dangerous terror organization.”
This story has been updated.
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