Israel asks EU to shun contacts with Hezbollah, Hamas

Israel on Sunday asked the European Union to shun contacts with Hezbollah and Hamas shortly after a Palestinian suicide bomber wounded some 40 Israelis in a southern Israeli city.

At a news conference with visiting European foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said the EU was keeping its pledge not to meet Palestinian militants from Hamas, which is listed by the EU list as a banned terrorist organization, but made no mention about Hezbollah.

"Sunday morning's suicide attack in Be'er Sheva shows clearly that the security fence should be completed as soon as possible," Shalom added.

Praising the orderly and nonviolent evacuation of all 21 Jewish settlements from Gaza and four in the northern West Bank, Solana called on Israel to complete its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and

keep up the momentum for peace.

Solana also said it would be a "tremendous mistake" not to take advantage of the momentum created by the this week's pullout.

Solana was the first high-ranking foreign emissary to visit Israel since the disengagement.

Source: Xinhua