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MOSCOW (Reuters) - Islamist militant Hamas, which is forming a Palestinian government, will not recognize Israel despite pressure from Russia to do so during talks in Moscow, a senior leader of the group said on Saturday.

The Moscow visit is the first by Hamas leaders to a major foreign power since it won Palestinian parliamentary elections on January 25.

Hamas is hoping to gain a measure of international standing from the three days of talks, opposed by Israel and the United States, which both brand the group a terrorist organization. The Hamas charter calls for the Jewish state's destruction.

Moussa Abu Marzouk, Hamas's deputy political leader, told Reuters in an interview that recognizing Israel would negate all Palestinian rights.

"It means a negation of the Palestinian people and their rights and their property, of Jerusalem and the holy sites, as well as negation of their right of return. Therefore the recognition of Israel is not on the agenda," Abu Marzouk said.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a Hamas delegation during a first day of talks it must recognize Israel's right to exist and abide by interim peace deals.

That echoes demands made by the Quartet of Middle East mediators, which besides Russia includes the United Nations, the United States and the European Union.

DRAW A MAP

Abu Marzouk, who is part of the Hamas delegation in Moscow, blasted previous Palestinian accords with Israel and said they did not define the Jewish state's borders.

"I gave the Russian officials a white sheet and I asked them to draw me a map of the Israel they want me to recognize and nobody was able to draw the map," he said.

"Therefore how would you want me to recognize something that is so dangerous to the future of the Palestinian people."    Continued ...

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