Salvador, Brazil - Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas wants Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to convince Iran to put an end to its support for the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. "Iran supports Hamas with money. Hamas' decisions are in the hands of Tehran," Abbas said in an interview with the Brazilian daily Folha de Sao Paulo Friday.
Abbas' remarks were clearly aimed at Lula's next Middle East visitor on Monday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
"I hope (Lula) can tell (Ahmadinejad) a few things about everything that is happening in the Middle East. I think the president will," Abbas was quoted as saying.
For Abbas, problems among Palestinians are "a pretext that helps reinforce Israel's argument that they do not know who their partners are" on the Palestinian side when it comes to talks.
"I do not think that the Israelis have caused (division among Palestinians), but they encourage it and keep it up for their own benefit," he explained.
Abbas said he would like Brazil - which also hosted Israeli President Shimon Peres last week - to get involved in talks for peace in the Middle East.
"We believe that Brazil should play a role in the peace process, and we will ask it to take the opportunity to take on the role. I know (Brazil) is respected by the Israelis and the Arabs, and by the Palestinians in particular," Abbas said.
"Brazil, as an important country, and President Lula, as a respected leader, can play an important role. There are many ways of taking action for peace," he added.
In the interview, Abbas insisted that he will not be a candidate in the upcoming Palestinian National Authority's election, despite requests from various parties including Israel's Peres.
"I will not be a candidate. The decision I have made is final," he stressed. "We have institutions, a government, authority, a cabinet, a police corps and stability. I do not think my decision will mean the end of the Palestinian Authority."
Abbas accused the Israeli government of setting hurdles on the way to peace by taking measures like the planned expansion of settlements on occupied Palestinian land in East Jerusalem.
"This (Israeli) government does not believe in peace," he said.
"Israel should abide by what was defined in the Road Map, which clearly says that Israel must stop the expansion of any kind of settlement, including natural expansion. The Israelis are under that obligation," Abbas said.
He stressed that he would only go back to talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when Netanyahu accepts "two principles: the end of settlements and Israeli withdrawal to its pre-1967 borders."
"Before that, there is no reason whatsoever to see him," Abbas said.
The so-called Road Map for piece is the guiding document of the international community's designated quartet - Russia, the US, the European Union and the United Nations - which has been wrestling with the Middle East issue for years.
