Netanyahu, Abbas Go New Round on Hamas, Holocaust

As Israel today marks its annual Holocaust commemoration, the AP notes that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a rare statement proclaiming that "what happened to the Jews in the Holocaust is the most heinous crime to have occurred against humanity in the modern era" and expressing his "sympathy with the families of the victims and many other innocent people who were killed."

The two sides aren't exactly cozy since the breakdown of peace talks, and CNN reports that Benjamin Netanyahu immediately responded thusly: "I call on President Abbas: Tear up your pact with Hamas," the Israeli PM told the network. "We're not going to negotiate with a government backed by Hamas unless Hamas changes its position and says it's willing to recognize Israel." Further, if Palestinians fail to return to the negotiating table, "we'll seek other" means of forging peace. "I'm not going to accept a stalemate," Netanyahu said. (More Mahmoud Abbas stories.)