Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday that the Palestinian people should not be punished for electing the Hamas Islamic movement to govern them.

"The Palestinian people should not be punished because they chose democracy," the visiting Palestinian leader said.

Abbas made the statement at a press conference after meeting South African President Thabo Mbeki in Cape Town. He arrived in South Africa on Thursday for a three-day state visit.

"There is no logic in the United States and some Western countries cutting off and stopping funding to the Palestinian people," he said.

Abbas called on the international community to consider the matter in a "very practical and realistic way."

"The funds and the help should continue," he said.

Abbas reiterated his government's commitment to negotiations with Israel, and expressed the hope that the outcome of recent elections in both countries would "lead to a process of peace."

He urged Israel not to digress from the internationally backed so-called road map to peace.

"Unilateral decisions will not help to solve the problems," he said, adding that only negotiations would yield a solution acceptable to all parties.

"Unilateral decisions will only delay any decision and will not solve it (the problems). We don't want to delay... we want to solve this conflict. This is our call to the Israeli government."

His government would deal on a daily basis with that of Israel, Abbas said.

Mbeki reiterated South Africa's support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, adding that "the only lasting solution is a solution that is agreed by both sides."

South Africa would do whatever it could to support the search for a peaceful solution, he said.

In this regard, a Hamas delegation was to visit South Africa in its new role as governing party.

Source: Xinhua