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Prime Minister Hashim Thaci (Reuters)
Last update - 00:46 18/02/2008
Sources: Israel won't be among first states to recognize Kosovo
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Independence, Hashim Thaci 

Hours after Kosovo declared itself an "independent and democratic state" on Sunday, sources in Jerusalem said Israel would not be among the first group of countries to recognize the new nation's sovereignty.

"In principle, Israel does not support unilateral processes like these," the sources told Army Radio.

The Foreign Ministry has not yet issued an official response on the matter.
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Meanwhile, Russia tried to block Kosovo's independence during a closed-door emergency session of the UN Security Council on Sunday, saying
it is deeply concerned about the safety of Serbs living in the territory.

The 15-member council is deeply divided on the future of Kosovo. Russia backs its close ally Serbia, while the United States, Britain, France and other European Union members are supporting the Kosovo Albanians.

The council met at the request of Russia, which argues that Kosovo's
declaration of independence from Serbia made earlier Sunday violates a 1999 council resolution.

The session got off to a rocky start; shortly after it began, the meeting had to be suspended for a couple of hours because of a lack of interpreters.

At issue before the Security Council is the contention by Serbia and Russia that a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders constitutes a violation of a 1999 UN resolution providing for Kosovo to be administered by the UN and NATO troops and that Serbia's territorial integrity be maintained.

Russia, France and Croatia led off the talks, according to diplomats at the meeting.

Kosovo declaration prompts violent protests
Across Kosovo's capital, Pristina, on Sunady revelers danced in the streets, fired guns into the air, waved red and black Albanian flags and honked car horns in jubilation at the birth of the world's newest country.

But the declaration of independence prompted violent responses from Serbians both in their ethnic strongholds in Kosovo and in Belgrade.

Meanwhile, hand grenades were thrown at buildings of the European Union and United Nations on Sunday in the Kosovo Serb stronghold city of Mitrovica, after Kosovo declared independence with EU backing.

The blast at a UN courthouse in the Serb-controlled north of Kosovo caused slight damage but no injuries.

Another unexploded hand grenade was discovered nearby, said Besim Hoti, spokesman for Kosovo police in Kosovska Mitrovica.

EU officials evacuated their building, which houses the team preparing a mission to supervise Kosovo's independence.

"Officials abandoned the (EU) building. Security guards said two hand grenades had been thrown. One had exploded," the source told Reuters.

Police sources said a vehicle belonging to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was damaged in the blast at the UN carpark.

French troops of the NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR have prepared concrete and wire barriers to close off the bridges dividing Albanians and Serbs in Mitrovica in case of clashes.

Angry Serbs stoned the U.S. embassy in Belgrade to protest Washington;s backing of Kosovo's declaration of independence.

"Kosovo is the heart of Serbia," they shouted as up to 2,000 demonstrators, mostly young men, surrounded the embassy, which
was guarded by more than 500 police in full riot gear.

Some broke windows at the embassy. Demonstrators chanting patriotic songs appeared to be approaching the embassy easily through nearby side-streets. Traffic in a main boulevard nearby ground to a halt.

Kosovo's 10 minority Serb lawmakers boycotted the session, and Serbian
President Boris Tadic immediately rejected the independence bid as unilateral and illegal. Russia demanded an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Kosavar PM: Belgrade will never rule Kosovo again
Sunday's declaration was carefully orchestrated with the U.S. and key European powers, and Kosovo was counting on swift international recognition that could come as early as Monday, when EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels, Belgium.

Parliament speaker Jakup Krasniqi, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and President Fatmir Sejdiu signed the declaration, which was scripted on parchment, before the unveiling of a new national crest and a flag: a bright blue banner featuring a golden map of Kosovo and six stars, one for each of its main ethnic groups.

Speaking before the assembly, Thaci declared that Kosovo would never again be ruled by Belgrade.

"From today onwards, Kosovo is proud, independent and free," said Thaci. "We never lost faith in the dream that one day we would stand among the free nations of the world, and today we do."

In his proposal to parliament, Thaci said: "We the leaders of our people, democratically elected, through this declaration proclaim Kosovo an independent and sovereign state."

"This declaration reflects the will of the people," he said

At the commencement of the assembly, Krasniqi said: "Kosovo is turning a new page in its history. We are committed to a democratic state for all citizens, in cooperation with the international community."

Before the assembly, Thaci told reporters the new country would be democratic and multiethnic state.

"Kosovo citizens today await an independent, sovereign and democratic country, a state for all with equal rights," Thaci said. "It is time to take the decision to make Kosovo a member of the community of free nations."

Thaci has also called on Israel to recognize his nation's independence.

In an interview with Haaretz, Thaci said: "We would like and we expect Israel to be on board with all those democratic countries of the world which will immediately recognize Kosovo's independence."
He also said that under no circumstances will independent Kosovo be an Islamic nation.

The United States and most EU members are expected to quickly recognize Kosovo, despite failing to win a new UN Security Council resolution sanctioning the move due to a Russian block on its adoption.

Serbia calls Kosovo a 'false state'
In a televized address to the nation on Sunday minutes after its mainly
Albanian province declared independence, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said Kosovo was propped up unlawfully by the United States which was "ready to violate the international order for its own military interests".

Serbs vow never to give up the territory, in which their history goes back 1,000 years. But the West supports the demand of Kosovo's 2 million ethnic Albanians for their own state, nine years after NATO went to war to save them from Serbian forces.

Meanwhile, Russia urged the UN to annul Kosovo's declaration of independence and said it could cause an escalation in ethnic violence in the region.

"We expect the UN mission and NATO-led forces in Kosovo to take immediate action to carry out their mandate ... including the annulling of the decisions of Pristina's self-governing organs and the taking of tough administrative measures against them," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The decisions by the Kosovo leadership create the risk of an escalation of tension and inter-ethnic violence in the province and of new conflict in the Balkans," it said.

Kosovo will be the sixth state carved from the former Serbian-dominated Yugoslav federation since 1991, after Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Montenegro.

Serbs in the north of Kosovo, adjoining Serbia proper, will reject independence, cementing an ethnic partition that will weigh on the new state for years to come.

Fewer than half of Kosovo's 120,000 remaining Serbs live in the north, while the rest are in scattered enclaves protected by NATO peacekeepers.

EU appeals for calm in Balkans
European Union officials earlier Sunday appealed for calm in the Balkans following Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia.

"We appeal to all parties in Kosovo and in the wider region to remain calm and not to respond to any provocation," said EU spokesman Jens Mester. "The international community will not tolerate violent action in Kosovo."

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the alliance, which has
16,000 peacekeepers in Kosovo, urges all parties involved to exercise the
maximum restraint and moderation.

The EU, which on Saturday endorsed a rule-of-law mission to Kosovo, will meet on Monday to discuss the territory's secession after years of economic and political limbo as a ward of the United Nations.

Related articles:
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  • Domino effect in the Balkans
  • Kosovo, in Israeli eyes
  • Kosovar PM's dad: 'Who knew this house would make a leader'
  • Text of Kosovo's declaration of independence
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      1.   albanians must leave occupied territories of slavs 17:29  |  boxley 17/02/08
      2.   Yes recognise 17:53  |  Danite 17/02/08
      3.   May God Bless Independent Kosovo! 18:39  |  B`Galil 17/02/08
      4.   Recognize Kosovo, any similarity 19:12  |  Binco 17/02/08
      5.   Israel should not hasten to recognize Kosovo state 19:17  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 17/02/08
      6.   under no circumstances will independent Kosovo be an Islamic 19:22  |  Joseph . E 17/02/08
      7.   under no circumstances will independent Kosovo be an Islamic 19:24  |  Joseph . E 17/02/08
      8.   Kosovo`s Independence 19:25  |  Chayim Phillips 17/02/08
      9.   under no circumstances will independent Kosovo be an Islamic 19:35  |  Joseph . E 17/02/08
      10.   Kosova 19:44  |  Nicko 17/02/08
      11.   Another illegal, stupid, rash decision by Bush administration 19:50  |  Michael 17/02/08
      12.   Slavs came to the Balkans only in 7th century... 19:54  |  Vanja 17/02/08
      13.   Shlomo, if Serbs are such good friends of Jews, how come Belgrade 19:57  |  Vanja 17/02/08
      14.   vanya, what was the ethnic albanian population 20:13  |  boxley 17/02/08
      15.   #11, illegal and missing the point or something 20:14  |  Binco 17/02/08
      16.   serbs in some ways very similar to jews 20:42  |  bozhidar bob balkas 17/02/08
      17.   Thaxhi is a Terorist 20:52  |  Nick 17/02/08
      18.   Reply to Vanja... That is a LIE..>! 21:06  |  Nick 17/02/08
      19.   Which fool thinks serbia is their friend? 21:11  |  lance 17/02/08
      20.   Freedom now for the Latinos in so-called United States. 21:21  |  Michael 17/02/08
      21.   To #5 21:32  |  Michael 17/02/08
      22.   Israel should recognize Palestine 21:53  |  j 17/02/08
      23.   Once again, Israel stands proudly against freedom and democracy 21:57  |  peacelover 17/02/08
      24.   Kosovo 21:59  |  Michael 17/02/08
      25.   Why not israel needs more Friends 22:10  |  Ralph Levy 17/02/08
      26.   Lance, u;re either ILLinformed or EVIL person... 22:10  |  Nick 17/02/08
      27.   SLAVIC TRIBESMEN POURED ACROSS 22:14  |  Cristo 17/02/08
      28.   Reply to Lance 22:21  |  Nick 17/02/08
      29.   There is a direct link between the KLA and Osama Bin Laden 22:24  |  Arab 17/02/08
      30.   kosovo is illyrian land. albanians=illyrians 22:26  |  wowaweewa 17/02/08
      31.   Israel may recognize "Palestine", were they to make the same vow 22:31  |  We will not be Islam 17/02/08
      32.   B`Galil @ 3, I second that, God Bless Kosovo indeed!!! 22:35  |  Virginia 17/02/08
      33.   Kosovo Won`t Be Democratic and Multi-ethnic for Long 22:35  |  Efox 17/02/08
      34.   Will Kosovo Recognize Israel? 22:38  |  Efox 17/02/08
      35.   Arafat`s Uncle formed the Islamic Majority WAFFEN SS in Balkans 22:44  |  Efox 17/02/08
      36.   israel is wrong.kosovo declaration is good for the state 22:48  |  harzion 17/02/08
      37.   re: Michael 22:49  |  Efox 17/02/08
      38.   Of course, u`re NOT Illirs, you claim to be Dardans..haha ! :-) 22:53  |  nick 17/02/08
      39.   Lesson 23:21  |  Srdjan 17/02/08
      40.   NAZIS pushed the albanians in Kosovo 23:43  |  PARIS 17/02/08
      41.   It is obvious... 23:51  |  Maureen Ann 17/02/08
      42.   lesson??? 23:55  |  kelvin 17/02/08
      43.   to nick 23:58  |  kelvin 17/02/08
      44.   YET ANOTHER ISLAMIC STATE! 00:08  |  Claudia 18/02/08
      45.   LoL 00:10  |  Srdjan 18/02/08
      46.   Albania is so good, We NEED ANOTHER ONE? 00:28  |  FOX 18/02/08
      47.   #11 Michael in UK; this time Bush is NOT to be blamed! 00:43  |  AliciaYasmeen 18/02/08
      48.   REPLY TO 26# look at history through a wider prism 00:43  |  lance 18/02/08
      49.   I didn`t realize history was this easy 00:52  |  Colin Wright 18/02/08
      50.   Isreal will Recognise Kosova as State 01:09  |  Isaac 18/02/08
      51.   Kosovo a Puppetstate 01:13  |  george 18/02/08
      52.   Kosovo=nazi state 01:16  |  Jay 18/02/08
      53.   No rules, no justice, no logic...just POWER 01:34  |  Ognjen Diamant 18/02/08
      54.   Now is the time of Palestine to do the same. 02:10  |  Ali 18/02/08
      55.   Kosovo 02:49  |  Michael 18/02/08
      56.   To Vanja,#13 03:12  |  Michael 18/02/08
      57.   Kosova it`s NOT an Islamic state 03:25  |  PejaKid 18/02/08
      58.   OF COURSE ISRAEL WON`T 07:56  |  indrajaya 18/02/08
      59.   Albanian flags 09:50  |  MR 18/02/08
      60.   # 44 idrajaya 10:28  |  danny 18/02/08
      61.   ""In principle, Israel does not support unilateral processes ... 11:36  |  zmogus 18/02/08
      62.   Serbs are not your friends 13:03  |  lance 18/02/08
      63.   Organized Crime in Kosovo (Mafia State) 13:19  |  Becko 18/02/08
      64.   indrajaya please answer #14 15:55  |  boxley 18/02/08
      65.   KOSOVO 15:59  |  The Teacher/Instruct 18/02/08
      66.   To Michael: Serbs Collaborated with the Axis 16:37  |  Isaac 18/02/08