Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., April 24, 2009 Nisan 30, 5769 | | Israel Time: 07:11 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File TLV 100
Last update - 22:30 22/04/2009
Hamas video address to British MPs fails due to technical glitch
By Barak Ravid
Tags: Britain, Israel News 

Exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshal's plan to address British lawmakers in an unprecedented video teleconference on Wednesday failed due to a technical glitch.

The Damascus-based Meshal had hoped to address the parliamentarians as part of the Islamist group's campaign to persuade the West to engage in dialogue with Hamas as part of the Middle East peace process.

Event organizers had hoped the session could help persuade the U.S. and
E
Advertisement
uropean governments to review their policy toward Hamas, but were unable to speak to Meshal when a video link failed.

Independent British lawmaker Clare Short, a former Labor Cabinet minister and one of the event's organizers, said she would invite Meshal to address a future meeting in the same way.

About 25 members of the British House of Commons and House of Lords had gathered for the session, which was criticized by Britain's Foreign Office and Israel's Foreign Ministry.

The event was arranged by MP Clare Short, who reigned from the Labor Party in 2006, several years after quitting the government over the war in Iraq. Short recently led a delegation of British MPs to meet with Meshal in Damascus.

Short extended personal invitations about a week ago to dozens of MPs to attend the videoconference, to be broadcast to a meeting room in the MPs' office building. A large number of MPs are expected to attend.

The Israeli Embassy in London tried unsuccessfully to get pro-Israel MPs to exert pressure to cancel the event.

Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor said Monday: "If Khaled Meshal would ask to enter the U.K., he would be denied, because the British government knows very well that Hamas is a terror organization. It is therefore a very serious matter when the British Parliament gets around this obstacle and opens its doors to a terror leader by means of a videoconference."

In recent months, particularly after Operation Cast Lead, several MPs have met with Meshal in Damascus and with Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza.

The British government does not meet officially with Hamas, as it is on the European Union's list of terror groups.

U.K.-Israeli relations have been overshadowed recently by closer relations by British politicians and Hamas.

This article was updated on April 21; details of Clare Short's resignation from the Labour Party have been corrected.

Related articles:
  • Meshal welcomes Obama's 'new language' on Mideast
  • Report: Gaza Hamas heads furious with Meshal decision to end lull
  • Carter meets with Hamas leader in Damascus for second time this year
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Disrupting Ahmadinejad
    UN expels Jewish and Iranian groups from global racism conference 'Durban II'
    Ancient Egypt
    3,000-year-old arms storehouse uncovered in the Egyptian peninsula of Sinai
      1.   Talking 06:47  |  Mosdave 21/04/09
      2.   I am curious... 06:54  |  Jasper 21/04/09
      3.   Canada just barred entry to another racist 06:56  |  Gregor 21/04/09
      4.   Fire side Chats with Terrorist Leaders 07:32  |  Baruch Gold 21/04/09
      5.   Well, still got some work to do in the UK, my Israeli friends.... 08:49  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/04/09
      6.   A handsome snake, the west is mesmorised by beauty 09:12  |  lily 21/04/09
      7.   Talking is better than bombing 09:13  |  MMcS 21/04/09
      8.   Operation Past Dead 09:37  |  Capt Ahab 21/04/09
      9.   Talkink to Hamas 11:59  |  S.Khoury 21/04/09
      10.   get on with it UK 12:29  |  Roo 21/04/09
      11.   Your Chrchills, your Bertrand Russells, your real anti-racist? 14:22  |  Israeli citizen 21/04/09
      12.   Britain, have you all been transformed into Chamberlain? 14:23  |  Israeli citizen 21/04/09
      13.   AHAB.Unlike intimdation by UK Moslems against Wilders 15:51  |  PETER SM 21/04/09
      14.   ROO Speaking to Islamist racist genocidal peace deniers 15:58  |  PETER SM 21/04/09
      15.   SWISS Swiss " morals "are not those of the EU 16:14  |  PETER SM 21/04/09
      16.   Islamobrit hypocrisy - Deja Vu 16:37  |  Christopher 21/04/09
      17.   Geert Wilders is denied his visit ! 16:45  |  Akiva P 21/04/09
      18.   #2 Jasper 17:08  |  BDS 21/04/09
      19.   rhetoric of the left is souring and beginning to stink 17:10  |  Akiva P 21/04/09
      20.   # 15 PETER SM, they had no other choice..... 17:12  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/04/09
      21.   IT WORKS, MAN 17:48  |  indrajaya 21/04/09
      22.   Free Scotland and Northern Ireland! The Sun Has Set! 18:06  |  Jane 21/04/09
      23.   To Jane in Orlando 20:31  |  John 21/04/09
      24.   think if 22:11  |  oz 21/04/09
      25.   myopic John from Manchester 23:03  |  Gregor 21/04/09
      26.   A match made in Heaven. Englandistan and their new leader. 22:40  |  4:20 22/04/09
      27.   "Technical Glitch" 00:10  |  Clickfool 23/04/09
      28.   British losers 00:44  |  ron 23/04/09
      29.   re talking is better than bombing 01:12  |  Schotness 23/04/09
      30.   What A Shame! Somebody Crossed The Wires 02:16  |  Jeff Northridge 23/04/09
      31.   Do you suppose it was a Short Circuit? 03:01  |  Jasper 23/04/09
      32.   #20 what an idiot! 04:01  |  Meo 23/04/09
      33.   England is not considered to be part of Europe anymore 04:16  |  Johan 23/04/09
      34.   I had forgotten 04:38  |  utagawa 23/04/09
      35.   #23 John 04:47  |  Marc 23/04/09
      36.   SWISS "forced" to invite Ahmadinejad to the Presidents place??? 12:39  |  PETER SM 23/04/09
      37.   To Clickie: Maybe that`s why it`s called a `Short` circuit! 06:17  |  Morris Valentine 24/04/09
     Haaretz Hot Topics
    Durban II conference
    Air strike in Sudan
    Israel 2009 election results: Voter breakdown
    Israel vs. Hamas
    Iran: Nuclear and regional ambitions
    More Headlines
    02:26 Netanyahu: Europe will not dictate policy to Israel
    07:08 Clinton: Israel at risk of losing support against Iran threat
    06:23 Knesset Speaker Rivlin slams U.K. for welcoming Hamas
    06:29 PM spokesman: Naming Gaza op 'Cast Lead' was a PR mistake
    06:47 Yossi Sarid / Sometimes evil is good for the Jews
    23:37 Israelis in Europe warned of Hezbollah kidnap threat
    03:53 Sharansky, the Jewish Agency's worst nightmare and best hope
    22:31 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel
    06:01 Netanyahu's candidate for U.S. envoy backs one-sided pullout
    06:12 Southern Africa immigrants welcomed at Western Wall
    02:27 Hamas and Fatah to resume Cairo talks on Sunday
    21:55 Obama: It is our duty to prevent another Holocaust
    02:51 Iran slams UN for silence on Israel's 'abhorrent crimes'
    Previous Editions
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Spring Specials-Dan Hotels
    Jerusalem from 179$. Tel-Aviv from 223$. Herzliya from 336$
    The Meier on Rothschild Tower
    Masterpiece Residence in the Heart of Tel Aviv
    Dead Sea Skin Care
    Quality cosmetics from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 12% off!
    Camp Kimama Israel 2009
    The best place for your children this summer
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
    Jewish Singles Personal Ads
    Find the love of your life on JDate.com
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | | Israel 2009 election results
    Site rules | Makom: Engaging on Israel | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved