Netanyahu, Israel 'deeply troubled' by U.S. plan

From AP:

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's prime minister said Tuesday he is "deeply troubled" by the United States' decision to maintain relations with the new Palestinian unity government, urging Washington to tell the Palestinian president that his alliance with the Hamas militant group is unacceptable. 

The blunt language used by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reflected his dismay over the international community's embrace of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' new unity government, and marked the latest in a string of disagreements between Netanyahu and the White House. 

Netanyahu has urged the world to shun the government because it is backed by Hamas, an Islamic group that has killed hundreds of Israelis in attacks over the past two decades. But late Monday, both the U.S. and European Union said they would give Abbas a chance. 

"I'm deeply troubled by the announcement that the United States will work with the Palestinian government backed by Hamas," Netanyahu told The Associated Press, saying the group has murdered "countless innocent civilians." 

"All those who genuinely seek peace must reject President Abbas' embrace of Hamas, and most especially, I think the United States must make it absolutely clear to the Palestinian president that his pact with Hamas, a terrorist organization that seeks Israel's liquidation, is simply unacceptable," he said. 

Asked whether Israel is lobbying its allies to change their position toward the unity government, an Israeli official said the government is "definitely in a conversation with the U.S. and other world powers, sharing our views on how to deal with the Palestinian government." 

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the diplomatic effort with the media.