While visiting the Gaza Strip last week, an eight-person delegation of the European Parliament invited Palestinian leaders to visit the EU assembly in Brussels next year.

Such a gesture wouldn’t normally be very newsworthy except that the formal invitation was to all elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (plc)—including leaders of arguably Israel’s most notorious and dangerous terrorist group, Hamas.

EU parliamentarians made the invitation despite the fact that the European Union, America and much of the rest of the world consider Hamas a terrorist organization, with many states boycotting the group. Hamas won the Palestinian elections in 2006, and took over the Gaza Strip in June 2007.

The announcement came just days before violence flared up in the region once again. Between Tuesday and Friday last week, 50 rockets were fired from Gaza. Militants claim the attacks were a reaction to an Israel Defense Forces (idf) operation. The idf says the raid was conducted to thwart a plan to kidnap Israeli soldiers.

Although Europe’s invitation may well be accepted by members of Fatah and other Palestinian political parties, it is not likely Hamas leaders will be able to make the trek. Many are in jail for being terrorists; others are unable to leave Gaza or their protective sanctuaries in Syria and Lebanon.

Still, that the EU would give the invitation serves the terrorist group’s ambitions for being recognized as a legitimate part of the Palestinian government. Cypriot member of the European Parliament Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, head of the European delegation, said about Hamas: “We don’t care who they are as long as they are members of the Legislative Council. We don’t ask if they are members of Hamas or members of Fatah. The plc was elected in 2006, and it was democratically elected.”

The implication is that because Hamas was democratically elected, it is a legitimate party and should be dealt with diplomatically on the international stage—despite the fact that even now it is lobbing rockets into Israeli towns. It is a dangerous suggestion.

Hamas is a terrorist group. It has designs on the West Bank and, more importantly, Jerusalem. Hamas has a majority in the plc. Democratically, it would be running the Palestinian Authority.

By recognizing Hamas and asking it to visit the EU assembly in Brussels, Europe gives legitimacy and support to one of the region’s most anti-Israel terrorist groups, helping thrust the organization one step closer to receiving funding and backing from the rest of the world.

To find out the underlying motive behind Europe’s involvement in the Middle East and its support of the Palestinians, read “The Counterfeit Peacemaker.”