Israel shuns Adams after he pledges to meet Hamas

Israeli officials will shun Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams during his first trip to the region because of plans to meet with members of the Hamas militant group, a government spokesman said today.

Adams was due to arrive this afternoon for a two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian areas.

Adams said earlier this week he hoped his visit would encourage compromise between Israel and Hamas, an Islamic group committed to destruction of the Jewish state.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said Adams was making a “private” visit, and that his plans to speak to Hamas ruled out meetings with Israeli leaders.

“There is an Israeli Cabinet decision that says that if foreign dignitaries meet Hamas officials, we won’t meet them because Hamas doesn’t recognise Israel’s right to exist. We don’t have any problem with them meeting Palestinian officials who don’t belong to Hamas,” he said.

Adams, who was invited to the region by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, is scheduled to travel to the West Bank town of Ramallah tomorrow for meetings with officials in Abbas’ Fatah movement.