Not all Palestinians or Lebanese are terrorists - Abu Meri

RIGA - Despite the current developments in the Middle East, "we should not put everyone in the same bowl" and say that all Palestinians or Lebanese are terrorists, because they are not, Lebanese-born Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri (New Unity) stressed on Thursday on Latvian Radio.

Commenting on his meeting with Amal Jadou, Palestinian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, in early October, the Minister said that the meeting had been formal. He pointed out that there are many foreign students in Latvia, possibly including Palestinians, and most of them were studying at Riga Stradins University.

"I also studied here 30 years ago and there were Palestinians and others from Arab countries. They studied with me because the education system here is good and our doctors are in demand all over Europe," Abu Meri explained.

The Minister also stressed that Latvia has diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority, which has no links with the terrorist group Hamas. In his words, the PA and Hamas are engaged in a military clash, i.e. they are enemies. Therefore, as long as diplomatic relations exist between Latvia and the Palestinian Authority, there is no reason to say that the Minister should not meet with representatives of this territory.

"Latvia has never supported cooperation with, for example, terrorist organizations. I personally condemn the Hamas terror attack in Israel - it is not normal or acceptable. I will always be in favor of peace between Israel and the Arab world, and I am happy that in the last two years there has been dialogue between them. I hope that peace will be restored in the near future," said Abu Meri.