Russian Parliamentarian On Setting Up Palestinian State

The issue of an independent Palestinian state must be resolved regardless of a concrete political situation - this state must exist. Mikhail Margelov, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council's (Russian parliament's upper house) International Committee said in an interview with RIA Novosti while commenting on possible consequences of the murder on Wednesday of Rehavam Ze'evy, leader of the National Unity Israeli parliamentary faction. "Any Israeli leader, whoever he or she is, must realize this", according to the senator. Margelov hopes that the Israeli leadership will be "wise enough" not to respond by "carpet bombings or any other disproportionate moves". According to the senator, the only adequate move of the Israeli authorities will be "special services's targeted activities". Margelov condemned today's murder in Israel, saying that those who masterminded and perpetrated it are "equal to those who killed thousands in the Moscow and Pyatigorsk house explosions and in terrorist attacks in the US." "Any extremism, no matter who acts in this way, inevitably leads to conflict and tension escalation."