New York, NY, June 4, 2007 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today urged the governments of Norway and South Africa to reconsider their contacts with the Hamas-led Palestinian government, saying that such actions undermine the international community's message to Hamas "that it cannot begin to achieve legitimacy until it expressly renounces violence and recognizes Israel's right to exist."

Norway has resumed direct aid to the Palestinian administration, abandoning the approach adhered to by the international community.  South Africa recently extended an invitation to top Hamas officials, including Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, to visit that country for official meetings with the government.

In a letter to His Excellency Jonas Gahr Støre, Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs, ADL leaders urged him "to reconsider your government's latest change of policy before it seriously undermines the efforts of the international community to unambiguously maintain the morally correct position regarding Hamas' murderous acts of terror and its stated goal of eliminating a member state of the United Nations."

"There is no possible justification for Norway's abandoning the approach adhered to by the international community which has sent the consistent message to Hamas that it cannot begin to achieve legitimacy until it expressly renounces violence and recognizes Israel's right to exist," said Glen S. Lewy, ADL National Chair and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. 

In a letter to the South African Ambassador to the U.S., Barbara Joyce Masekela, ADL leaders said they were "troubled" by reports that Ronnie Kasrils, a minister in the South African government, has met publicly with Hamas officials and conveyed and invitation to the Hamas prime minister to visit South Africa.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.