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Last update - 07:58 25/01/2009
Mitchell due in Israel Wed. as Obama launches peacemaking efforts
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press
Tags: George Mitchell, Israel News 

George Mitchell, the new Middle East envoy named by President Barack Obama, is to arrive on Wednesday in Israel and the Palestinian Authority for talks on boosting a Gaza cease-fire and reviving negotiations, a Foreign Ministry official said on Saturday. This signals the new U.S. administration's first direct foray in peace efforts.

Mitchell is expected to meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, as well as with candidates for prime minister, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Likud chairman MK Benjamin Netanyahu.

The latter two, both front-running candidates for prime minister, have each claimed to be better suited than the other for working with Obama and his envoy. Both the candidates' parties, Kadima and Likud respectively, are expected to highlight this aspect of relations with Washington in their campaigns.
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Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak is to arrive in Washington on Tuesday to meet with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and possibly also with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In weekend talks Livni held with advisers, Kadima ministers and other senior figures, she reportedly said that because she supported a two-state solution, if she becomes prime minister, the pressure will be on Iran and Hamas, and the United States will stand by us in the war on terror. But if there is an extreme-right government here, which rejects the principle of the two-state solution, the pressure will be on Israel," Livni reportedly said.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu has said in private conversations that Obama's people do not believe in a shelf agreement on the core issues, as Livni had tried to reach during the Bush administration.

Related articles:
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  • ANALYSIS / Netanyahu's anti-Obama flak jacket
  • U.S. Mideast envoy due on Wednesday
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