Israel suspends peace talks to protest Hamas' participation

David Silverman/Getty Images

Israel suspends peace talks to protest Hamas' participation
(Image credit: David Silverman/Getty Images)

The Israeli government on Thursday announced that it was backing out of American-brokered peace negotiations so long as the talks involve Palestine's militant group, Hamas. The decision came one day after Hamas and its rival party, Fatah, announced that they were working toward forming a united government.

"Instead of choosing peace, [Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas] formed an alliance with a murderous terrorist organization that calls for the destruction of Israel," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "Whoever chooses the terrorism of Hamas does not want peace."

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.