Some advice for Israel...

Spain's former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar says that Israel should ignore Europe.

Aznar said that European policy was "not favorable to Israel," and that different political leaders in Europe used the Middle East question as a way to establish a different identity from the US.

"In Europe, Israel is not very popular, not only this government, all governments," he said. "Most Europeans support the Palestinian cause. Europeans sincerely wish for a peace agreement and support the peace process, but the reality is that the peace process is closed. At this moment I think that Europe should work closely with the States, because that is the only opportunity to change the region."

Asked if Israel should, as a result, pay attention to the US, but not necessarily to Europe, Aznar succinctly replied: "Certainly." He said that the French and Dutch rejection of the EU constitution last week provided the EU a good opportunity to reform its polices and move away from the isolationist, anti-Americanism that he said defined much of its foreign policy.

On the Middle East, he said, "The Europeans are of two minds. One is to work close with the States, and the other is to make many trips here, give many interviews, come up with many initiatives, but without results. The only possible way to make something work is to work closely with the US."

Aznar interpreted the French and Dutch rejection of the EU Constitution as an indication of "a lack of trust of Europeans in the current leadership of Europe." He said it was also a vote for a closer alliance with the US.

Aznar, whose Popular Party lost the elections in the spring of 2004 following the deadly Madrid train bombings, took a strong position against Hamas and those voices in Europe calling for a softening of the EU's position toward it.

"For me Hamas has always been a terrorist group," he said, adding that it is the Palestinian Authority's responsibility to deal with the organization.