German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle welcomed the unity agreement between Fatah and Hamas but noted that the first step towards a successful reconciliation should be the rejection of violence and recognition of Israel.
In a statement released by the German Foreign Ministry through its embassy in Israel, Westerwelle said “Hamas is not a dialogue partner for us because we don’t work with organizations that fight with violence against Israel’s right to exist." (Ronen Medzini)