(Reuters) Jeffrey Heller - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday against any international rush to recognize a Palestinian government that includes Hamas. Israel and the West classify Hamas as a terrorist organization and have no official dealings with the movement. "I call on all responsible elements in the international community not to rush to recognize a Palestinian government which has Hamas as part of it and which is dependent on Hamas," Netanyahu told the cabinet. "Hamas is a terrorist organization that calls for Israel's destruction, and the international community must not embrace it. That would not bolster peace, it would strengthen terror." U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry "expressed concern about Hamas' role in any such government and the importance that the new government commit to the principles of nonviolence, recognition of the State of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements with it," the State Department said in a statement. PA President Mahmoud Abbas told Kerry on Monday that "the new government would be committed to these principles," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
2014-06-02 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive