BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Saturday that efforts to reconcile with Hamas should focus on security rather than political issues, the London-based Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported.

"Progress is measured according to political pluralism, which is a source of strength if it managed appropriately. What exhausts us is security pluralism not political pluralism," Fayyad was quoted as saying. Security was the most important issue to achieve the main objective, the creation of a Palestinian state, the prime minister said.

"It is more important to look seriously at the mutual recognition between the PLO and Israel in 1993. The PLO did not only recognize Israel, but recognized the Israeli people's right to live in peace. If Israel tries to convince the international community that the establishment of a Palestinian state will jeopardize Israel's existence, that means Israel is vetoing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

"In 1993, Israel recognized the PLO as a legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and there was no recognition of the Palestinian people’s right to establish a state."

Asked whether the PA would go to the UN Security Council seeking international recognition of a Palestinian state, Fayyad said, "What I want to affirm in this regard is that going to the Security Council or seeking international recognition needs preparation. It is not as simple as just heading to the UN Security Council because what we seek is to create a state, not only to declare it," the newspaper reported.