TEHRAN, Nov 14: The planned national unity government between Palestinian factions would maintain refusal to recognise Israel, Palestinian foreign minister Mahmud Zahar said on Tuesday.

“The government programme is the programme of the national compromise document,” said Mr Zahar, referring to the so-called prisoners document, a national reconciliation project drafted by jailed factional leaders in June.

“The letter of decree (from President Mahmud Abbas) is going to be the same as before but the national compromise document is going to be included in it,” he said after talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Tehran. “This means non-recognition (of Israel). There is no concession,” he added.

The European Union and United States have set recognising Israel as conditions on the Palestinian government in order to end a crippling aid blockade.—AFP