Future Canadian aid to the Palestinian government will depend on its support for three key benchmarks, says Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The government of President Mahmoud Abbas must renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept previous Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements, Harper told the Palestinian leader Tuesday during a telephone conversation.

“Future assistance to any new Palestinian government will be reviewed against that government's commitment to the principles of non-violence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations,” Mr. Harper said in a statement released after the phone call...

...On Hamas, Turki said the world community should respect the outcome of the Jan. 25 election even though it favored a group that the United States and Europe consider a terrorist organization. [On that we agree. They should be held responsible for their own choices.-S] And he said Saudi Arabia would continue to support the Palestinian government financially regardless of whether the United States, Europe, and Israel cease contributing to a government that includes Hamas, as they have threatened to do.

''We believe that the Palestinian people should not be punished for the fact that they chose as their representatives a party that has a different outlook on politics and the geopolitical state in Palestine," he said. [Ah yes, politics by other means...]

He said the Saudi government is urging any Palestinian government to honor previous agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel that would lead to the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel and for the recognition of Israel...