BERLIN, April 21 (UPI) -- Germany's deputy foreign minister has called on Russia to sack its plan to give money to Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Hamas' justification of the recent suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, where a Palestinian blew up nine people and himself, should be "reason enough for Russia to rethink that plan," Gernot Erler, the number two diplomat in the German foreign affairs office, told the online daily Netzeitung. "Russian Near East policy until now has not endorsed the official support of violence."
He added that Chancellor Angela Merkel will tackle the issue during her meeting with with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tomsk next week.
The United States, the European Union and Israel consider Hamas a terrorist organization. Along with Egypt they are pressing the Hamas government, elected earlier this year, to recognize Israel, renounce terror and follow the international "road map" for peace.
The Moscow daily Izvestia earlier this week reported Russia will provide Palestinian authorities with $10 million in social and humanitarian aid.
