[ 01/05/2011 - 09:35 AM ] NAZARETH, (PIC)-- Israel has called on the United Nations to pressure the Palestinian government to recognize Israel after the signing a historic national unity deal by Hamas and Fatah.
Israeli minister Ehud Barak phoned Saturday UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and expressed Israel's concerns over the agreement initially signed on Wednesday.
Hamas is a terrorist organization, Barak argued. It's elements fire missiles.
Israel expects that the UN will demand that the new Palestinian government accepts conditions set by the Quartet to recognize "Israel", to honor previous agreements with it, and to renounce "terrorism", Barak said.
Earlier, Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haneyya called on the Palestinian Liberation Organization to renounce its recognition of Israel in response to its rejection of the initial signing of the Palestinian reconciliation deal.
”There is no longer an excuse to recognize the Zionist entity after its rejection of Palestinian rights and internal unity,” the premier said. ”Its existence on our land is illegal and it cannot be recognized.”
Haneyya downplayed Israeli threats to thwart reconciliation efforts.
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian