On brink of unity deal, Palestinian official says Hamas needn't recognize Israel

An aide to the Western-backed Palestinian president said on Wednesday that international mediators should drop their demand that Gaza's militant Hamas rulers recognize Israel.

Nabil Shaath spoke just hours before Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' West Bank Fatah government is to sign a reconciliation deal with Hamas, ending a four-year rift. An interim unity government is to follow.

Israel has criticized the reconciliation, calling on Abbas to choose between with Israel or peace with Hamas, who "aspires to destroy Israel."

The Quartet of Mideast mediators - the U.S., European Union, United Nations and Russia – has called on Hamas to recognize Israel and renounce violence as a precondition to reaching any peace deal.

Shaath told Israel Radio on Wednesday that those demands are unfair, unworkable and do not make sense.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/on-brink-of-unity-deal-palestinian-official-says-hamas-needn-t-recognize-israel-1.359783