Breaking news: Clare Short right to extend hand to Hamas

[update]

David Stringer
Hamas leader's video-link adress to British lawmakers fails
(AP) Antiwar, April 22, 2009

One time Labour MP for Ladywood constituency in Birmingham, Clare Short, who now sits as an Independent, is to be applauded for the invitation to Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal to speak by video link to parliamentarians and others.

It has got the pro-Israel lobby up in arms. Well done Clare for inviting the democratic representatives of the Palestinian people to speak today by video link.

Guardian photography is usually pretty good which is why we can't help but think that the pic on the site today has been selected precisely because of its red eye.

Support the European Campaign to recognise Hamas

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Jose Saramago (writer, Portugal)
Mairead Maguire (Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ireland)
Danny Morrison (writer, Ireland)
Ronnie Kasrils (former South African minister)
Giulietto Chiesa (European MP, Italy)
Lucio Manisco (former European MP)
Gianni Vattimo (philosopher and former European MP)
Domenico Losurdo (director of the institute for philosophy, University Urbino, Italy)
Augusto Boal (theatre director, Brazil)
Gretta Duisenberg (chair Foundation Stop the Occupation, Netherlands)
François Houtart (professor emeritus Catholic University Louvain, Belgium)
Tariq Ramadan (professor, Oxford/Erasmus Universities)
Tariq Ali (writer, film-maker and editor of New Left Review, Britain)
Jan Myrdal (writer, Sweden)
James Petras (Bartle professor emeritus Binghamton University, USA)
Franco Cavalli (oncologist and president of the International Union of Cancer (IUCC), Switzerland)
Daniel Vischer (MP of the Green Party, Switzerland)
Alima Boumediene Thiery (senator, France)
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From the Guardian:

Clare Short: invited Hamas leader to a video link-up in Portcullis House. Photograph: Murdo Macleod

Israel accused former Labour Cabinet minister Clare Short of undermining the Middle East peace process today after she invited the political leader of Hamas to address a meeting in Parliament.
Khaled Mashaal is due to address MPs and peers tonight by video link from Damascus at the event organised by Ms Short, now a independent MP, and Liberal Democrat peer Lord Alderdice.

Clare Short has found support from Labour supporters which is encouraging. This from Labourhome blog:

Clare Short is right to seek dialogue with Hamas

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