By Jodi Rudoren on April 24, 2014
JERUSALEM — The Israel government decided on Thursday to suspend American-sponsored peace talks with the Palestinians because of the reconciliation agreement the Palestinians announced on Wednesday between two rival factions, one of which refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist.
The Israelis said no talks would be held at least until the new unity government announced by the Palestinians takes shape, and that it would not in any circumstances negotiate with a government that was backed by Hamas, the militant Islamic faction it considers a terrorist group.
The move came after a six-hour meeting of top Israeli ministers.
Hamas, which controls the Gaza strip, and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which is dominated by Fatah and governs the West Bank, announced on Wednesday that they had repaired the seven-year rift between them.
Palestinian leaders sought Thursday to soften the blow the agreement dealt to the faltering peace process, saying the new government would be made up of “technocrats” unaffiliated with Hamas or other political parties. But the Israeli decision left the prospects for continuing negotiations very slim.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/25/world/middleeast/israel.html?hp&_r=0
