Netanyahu blasts Palestinian leaders over Hamas coalition gov't; won't deal with terrorists
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (neh-ten-YAH'-hoo) says a decision by Palestinian authorities to create a coalition government with Hamas is a big step backward for peace.
Netanyahu says he will never negotiate a peace treaty with a government backed by a terrorist organization. He spoke Thursday in an interview from Tel Aviv on NBC News.
He's urging Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (mahk-MOOD' ah-BAHS') to change his mind about letting Hamas become part of the government. But Netanyahu says he believes the plans were in the works for weeks at least.
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Asked if there was any way he could work with Hamas, Netanyahu said it would immediately have to stop being a terror organization.
He notes that the U.S., European Union and many other nations consider Hamas a terror organization.