The Italian foreign minister has warned the West against isolating Hamas, saying there is a risk of pushing the Islamic resistance movement into the arms of al-Qaeda. Massimo D'Alema described Hamas, which has been shunned by the West, as "a real power that represents a large part of the Palestinian people," according to Corriere della Sera and other Italian reports on Tuesday.
"Hamas has committed terrorist acts but it is also a movement of the people. For the West not to recognize a government that was democratically elected ... it is not a very good lesson in democracy," he said. "It is in the interest of the international community to avoid pushing such movements in the arms of al-Qaida," said D'Alema.
