Norwegian FM denies saying his country severed ties with Hamas - Haaretz

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Thu., August 09, 2007 Av 25, 5767

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Last update - 00:00 09/08/2007

Norwegian FM denies saying his country severed ties with Hamas

By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gar Store denied on Wednesday having told President Shimon Peres on Monday that his country had severed all ties with Hamas.

Store expressed his outrage at allegations he had made this comment. In a meeting with Meretz Party Chairman Yossi Beilin on Wednesday, Store said that he had never said such a thing and that he "couldn't believe it when I saw myself being quoted as saying this."

Stores associates directed their criticism as Peres' office.

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On Monday, Store was quoted as saying that the Norwegian government had halted the ties it had cultivated with Hamas when the Palestinian unity government was intact, and now deals exclusively with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' government and PA Prime Minister Salam Fayad.

The unity government, led by Hamas, was dismantled by Abbas in the wake of Hamas' violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in mid-June.

In his meeting with Beilin, the Norwegian official said that his country maintains its contacts with Hamas, but on a lower scale than in the past.

"For 30 years our policy was to maintain ties with all groups in the conflict zones," he said. "We still believe in this, but since Hamas' takeover of Gaza we have lowered the contact [with Hamas] a notch, but we haven't severed all ties."

Store reiterated his anger over Israel's conflicting messages saying "on the one hand I am thanked and my efforts to free [abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier] Gilad Shalit are welcomed. But on the other hand, I'm told not to talk to Hamas," he added.

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1.	Israel Needs to Talk to Hamas - Start Making Peace	00:32	\|	Tony	09/08/07

2.	Could be that Hanan Nashrawi`s visit to Norway helped to jog the	00:40	\|	lakshmi	09/08/07

3.	Just more of the usual tiresome zionists` lies	01:19	\|	Hannah	09/08/07

4.	I like Norway	01:41	\|	nobodysacred	09/08/07

5.	#2 Tony - Hamas won`t talk to Israel	01:52	\|	* BEN JABO	09/08/07

6.	Gilad Shalit	02:00	\|	Alan Schreck	09/08/07

7.	#1 - Tony, you have an interesting definition of "cease fire"	02:20	\|	Slibovitz	09/08/07

8.	Norway and Hamas	03:07	\|	Stan	09/08/07

9.	Talk to Fascist Hamas ? Why?	03:32	\|	GZLives	09/08/07

10.	No palestinian state while Hamas exists	04:53	\|	Voice of Reason	09/08/07

11.	#4 scared of nobody but the zionist boogeyman	05:25	\|	APS	09/08/07

12.	Israel`s Public Relations stinks,	09:54	\|	S	09/08/07

13.	I told you so	16:00	\|	ting	09/08/07

14.	Talking with Hamas	19:51	\|	Barry Cooperstein	09/08/07

15.	No 10	22:50	\|	Paul	09/08/07

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