Borrell: Israel Funded Hamas to Weaken the Palestinian Authority

Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, revealed on Friday that Israel funded the establishment of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) "in an attempt to weaken the Palestinian Authority." Borrell stated in a speech at the University of Valladolid, "Yes, the Israeli government funded Hamas in an attempt to weaken the Palestinian Authority led by Fatah." He added that the only peaceful solution involves the establishment of a Palestinian state. He said, "We believe that imposing a two-state solution from the outside is the only way to achieve peace, despite Israel's insistence on opposing this solution." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies accusations from his opponents in Israel and some global media that his government has effectively spent years strengthening Hamas in Gaza.