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Last update - 20:44 16/04/2009
Livni to Mitchell: We don't gain from stagnant peace process
By Akiva Eldar, Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: arab intiative 

Opposition leader Tzipi Livni told visiting United States envoy George Mitchell on Thursday that lack of progress in the peace process was not to Israel's benefit.

The opposition leader, who negotiated with the Palestinian Authority toward a peace accord as foreign minister in Israel's last government, also told Mitchell that Israel must determine its borders at the same time as fighting terror.

Livni's comments came shortly after her replacement, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, told George Mitchell that a different approach was needed to solve the Middle East conflict, because that of past Israeli governments had failed.
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"New ideas" must be found, because the path taken by previous governments did not lead to "good places, to say the least," Lieberman told Mitchell, who arrived in Israel Wednesday night.

This was Mitchell's third round of talks in Jerusalem and Ramallah since his appointment, and the first during the tenure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A statement released by Lieberman's office quoted the minister as saying, "Past prime ministers were prepared to make wide-ranging concessions and the result of the Olmert-Livni government was the second Lebanon war, the operation in Gaza, severance of relations with Qatar and Mauritania, [abducted Israeli soldier] Gilad Shalit still in captivity and the peace process at a dead end."

In response, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said it means Israel will not conduct peace talks. "It's very obvious that this government rejects a two-state solution and the agreements [already] signed," he told The Associated Press by telephone.

Mitchell told Lieberman during the meeting that the U.S remains committed to a two-state solution for rectifying the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Netanyahu government has thus far declined to openly commit to such a two-state solution.

"I reiterated to the foreign minister that U.S. policy favors, with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a two-state solution which will have a Palestinian state living in peace alongside the Jewish state of Israel," Mitchell told reporters.

"We look forward also to efforts to achieving comprehensive peace throughout the region," he added.

Despite the potential for tension after Lieberman used his inauguration speech to flatly declare that Israel was not bound by commitments it made at a U.S.-sponsored summit in Annapolis, Thursday's talks were held in a "very good" atmosphere, his office insisted.

"We spoke about really close cooperation and we are looking forward to the next meeting and to some really deep dialogue," Lieberman told reporters after the meeting. "It was a great opportunity to exchange some ideas, and we spoke about really close cooperation."

In his comments to the press, Lieberman made no mention of a Palestinian state, an issue that could put Netanyahu's right-leaning government on a
collision course with U.S. President Barack Obama.

Mitchell also said that Lieberman told him about Israel's desire to "make economic improvements" in the West Bank. Palestinian leaders have rejected any notion of an "economic peace" and have said U.S.-backed talks with Israel could not resume until Netanyahu committed to statehood.



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      1.   More American idiocy 03:22  |  Frank 16/04/09
      2.   That`s Quite A Stretch, George Mitchel 04:15  |  Jeff Northridge 16/04/09
      3.   Are you listening, Peter WIlliams???? 04:17  |  Johnboy 16/04/09
      4.   Yes I can read too Johnboy, old news. 05:02  |  Peter Williams 16/04/09
      5.   Johnboy # 3 Not So Fast 05:04  |  Jeff Northridge 16/04/09
      6.   right on peter williams 06:00  |  Jon 16/04/09
      7.   Iran`s nuclear weapons program is a unique issue 06:10  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/04/09
      8.   "international security guarantees for Israel" 06:19  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/04/09
      9.   To #3/4 06:44  |  Frank 16/04/09
      10.   Williams says "old news", yeah, here maybe... 07:03  |  BBSNews 16/04/09
      11.   #2, Jeff Northridge 07:14  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/04/09
      12.   Israel must leave the occupied land, if iran is 08:06  |  New Yorker 16/04/09
      13.   Israeli Wet Dream 08:07  |  Peter 16/04/09
      14.   What a Joke 08:52  |  James 16/04/09
      15.   #11 I`ll give you the short answer, Cipora. 08:53  |  Johnboy 16/04/09
      16.   totaly true 08:56  |  bashar 16/04/09
      17.   Advancing peace talks will help curb Iran nukes 10:07  |  Joshua 16/04/09
      18.   Frank #1 10:08  |  Esther 16/04/09
      19.   What then are Iran`s probable motives... 10:25  |  Esther 16/04/09
      20.   Hello Its Sunni v Shia 10:49  |  leo 16/04/09
      21.   Iran`s alleged pursuit of parity with Israel 10:58  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/04/09
      22.   A wish and a prayer? 11:00  |  a wandering Jew 16/04/09
      23.   one state 14:57  |  Ivanov 16/04/09
      24.   Welcome US committment to Saudi Plan only basis for peace 15:01  |  Ivar 16/04/09
      25.   Re: A wish and a prayer? 15:17  |  Joan 16/04/09
      26.   I like Lieberman 15:34  |  Stan 16/04/09
      27.   OBAMA SAID HE WANTED CHANGE ! HE LIED 15:42  |  v hardman 16/04/09
      28.   Two-State Mistake 15:44  |  Rav Harley 16/04/09
      29.   Notice How Israel`s Apologists Talk Iran 16:05  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/04/09
      30.   Like Liebermans path is going to take us to a better place 16:11  |  Samuel 16/04/09
      31.   Jeff Northridge #2 A very poor understanding 16:26  |  Roo 16/04/09
      32.   A new idea 16:27  |  David 16/04/09
      33.   Israel`s Goal: Avoid the topic of peace 16:30  |  Ibrahim 16/04/09
      34.   yaakov sells brooklyn bridge again! eire awaits you 16:37  |  v hardman 16/04/09
      35.   Rav Harley as Jim Jones 16:44  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/04/09
      36.   Two States or One...those are your choices. 17:16  |  Ibrarhim 16/04/09
      37.   v hardman-as angry as ever 17:21  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/04/09
      38.   Mideast peace efforts failed 17:53  |  Ralph 16/04/09
      39.   Ten Einsteins Needed 17:59  |  Shimon Cleopas 16/04/09
      40.   Fatah option is State Dept fiction diconnected from real world 18:07  |  G Marcus 16/04/09
      41.   Palestinians, go to Dubai 18:14  |  al-Mansoori 16/04/09
      42.   Lieberman is right 18:14  |  Brod 16/04/09
      43.   Oye, Rav #25... thank the Lord... 18:17  |  Esther 16/04/09
      44.   Past Failures and New Future 18:37  |  Vladek 16/04/09
      45.   22 Arab states with Israel can bring Peace 18:48  |  sam 16/04/09
      46.   the actual obstacles to peace 19:00  |  shalom 16/04/09
      47.   "Peace process" not merely a failure. It`s a total disaster. 19:00  |  Chaim 16/04/09
      48.   Dig In Your Heels - We Need The Confrontation 19:05  |  chet 16/04/09
      49.   Lieberman is an accurate reflectionof todays Israel 19:23  |  Julie 16/04/09
      50.   The photo of the two of them... 19:35  |  Esther 16/04/09
      51.   Mitchell: The Jews have stopped committing suicide 19:59  |  Dwido 16/04/09
      52.   public opinion 20:14  |  ben 16/04/09
      53.   #23..Joan 20:51  |  Malone 16/04/09
      54.   The `peace` of the dark forces is NOT peace 21:14  |  Brod 16/04/09
      55.   Jerusalem municipality 21:37  |  Matthew Houston 16/04/09
      56.   #25/Rav 21:44  |  Deacon2 16/04/09
      57.   Jeff Northridge #2 poor understanding 22:43  |  Roo 16/04/09
      58.   I doubt that Mitchell is fooled by Livni,s double talk. 22:49  |  Evelyn. 16/04/09
      59.   A change for Tzipi 22:53  |  Mark Lincoln 16/04/09
      60.   Chris - Islamic fundamentalism 22:57  |  Shmuel 16/04/09
      61.   Livni to Mitchell: We don`t gain from stagnant peace process 23:05  |  Natallie Durson 16/04/09
      62.   Ibrarhim # 29 Really? 23:17  |  Jeff Northridge 16/04/09
      63.   Now she is talking!!! 23:41  |  Fiz Fiz 16/04/09
      64.   Livni/Mitchell 23:49  |  The Teacher/Instruct 16/04/09
      65.   Quite right, in a way 00:05  |  Colin Wright 17/04/09
      66.   No. 23 - - -Joan 00:30  |  a wandering Jew 17/04/09
      67.   Livni has not figured out she is no longer making policy 00:33  |  Magna 17/04/09
      68.   #40 from Dublin 00:47  |  Joan 17/04/09
      69.   #40 from Dublin 01:17  |  Joan 17/04/09
      70.   36-"The Jewish race has learnt finally not to trust the goyims " 01:18  |  chet 17/04/09
      71.   #40 from Dublin 02:00  |  Joan 17/04/09
      72.   Livni is wrong 02:12  |  Brod 17/04/09
      73.   Go home to your husband tipsi and stop trying to fight against 02:19  |  glenna 17/04/09
      74.   #44 chet 03:00  |  Let`s See 17/04/09
      75.   Jeff Northridge #2 poor understanding 03:19  |  Roo 17/04/09
      76.   Johnboy-# 3-You may be listening but you don`t seem to understand 04:00  |  Daniel Leopold 17/04/09
      77.   bbsnews 05:33  |  udi 17/04/09
      78.   OF COURSE, LIVNI, HONEY 08:44  |  indrajaya 17/04/09
      79.   victory vs. peace 10:32  |  Jim 17/04/09
      80.   #29 Ibrarhim 10:50  |  Jim 17/04/09
      81.   Ibrahim one state is best option 12:14  |  geoff 17/04/09
      82.   A Wandering Jew # 62 Whose side are the Palestinians on? Simple 14:30  |  American in NY 17/04/09
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