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B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International is outraged that Fatah has signed a reconciliation agreement with Hamas, a terrorist organization committed to Israel’s destruction. This latest move shows once again that the Palestinians are less interested in peace than in pursuing the conflict with Israel.

News of the Fatah-Hamas pact comes less than a week before Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are set to expire and has forced the end of negotiations following months of dialogue.

The Palestinians’ latest move—spearheaded by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas—is a clear statement that the Palestinian Authority would sooner accommodate terrorists than forge peace with Israel. It also brings into question Abbas’ assertion that the Palestinian Authority is committed to bilateral negotiations. How could bringing Hamas into the fold improve the state of peace talks, when from its inception Hamas has maintained an incessant campaign of terror and refused to recognize Israel’s right to exist?

This development is merely the latest chapter in what has now become a series of efforts over a period of years by the Abbas-led Palestinian Authority to jettison any negotiating process.