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Diplomatic boycott of Palestinian gov't eases
munaeem | 19 March, 2007 12:57
Reuters reports :
"A year-old diplomatic boycott of the Palestinian government eased on Monday when Norway's deputy foreign minister met in Gaza with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas.
The meeting was the first between Haniyeh and a senior European diplomat since Western powers imposed an economic and diplomatic blockade on the Palestinian Authority in March 2006 to pressure the ruling Hamas group to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept interim peace deals.
Israeli officials played down Johansen's meetings with Haniyeh and the new Palestinian foreign minister, Ziad Abu Amr, saying economic anctions against the Hamas-led government remained in place.
An opinion poll in Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper showed 39 percent of Israelis supported talks with the new Palestinian unity government. Another 17 percent backed talks with only Fatah ministers.
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