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Tzipi Livni addressing the UN General Assembly in New York last month. (AP/Archive) Last update - 04:21 29/10/2006 Livni cancels Qatar visit due to Hamas plan to attend summit By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has decided not to attend an international conference in Qatar Sunday due to the expected participation of a Hamas delegation in the event. Livni was invited to represent Israel at the UN-sponsored sixth International Conference on New or Restored Democracies in Doha. She had hoped to take advantage of her first visit to a Gulf state to strengthen Israel's ties with moderate Arab states. It was to be the most high-profile visit by an Israeli official to the Gulf state in 10 years. Advertisement Livni had learned previously that delegations from both the Palestinian parliament and from Hamas had been invited to the conference. After the Israeli representation in Qatar was informed that Hamas officials had accepted the invitation, Livni made the decision Saturday not to attend, three days after announcing her plans to travel to the Gulf state. Israel has low-level relations with Qatar and maintains a trade representation office in Doha. Last month Livni met with Qatar's Foreign Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani, at the UN General Assembly. Sunday's conference will include speeches by many foreign ministers from Arab and European countries, as well as working meetings on strengthening democracy. Livni will be the most senior Israeli official to visit Qatar since then-prime minister Shimon Peres traveled there in 1996. The Gulf state has a unique relationship with Israel, and left its Israeli liaison office open throughout the intifada. The Qatari foreign minister met with Livni at the UN General Assembly last month and visited Gaza last week in an effort to advance a prisoner swap and secure the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit. Bookmark to del.icio.us   'No good Jewish men' Author David Seidman delves into the dark side of dating, and confesses: 'I am a bad Jew.' Remembrance trail Holocaust memorial steam-drawn train sparks bitter row in Berlin.   1.   Kol Hakavod to Livni, this is very good news 12:10  |  Judith 25/10/06   2.   and look what this did for Peres? He is a nobody 13:05  |  Avi 25/10/06   3.   playing good Arab versus bad Arab 13:13  |  Avi 25/10/06   4.   STABING PALESTINIANS IN THE BACK... 13:32  |  Messaoud 25/10/06   5.   Avi the bafoon #3 13:39  |  Itsik 25/10/06   6.   Messaoud, it is a pity you don`t understand the Qatari message 14:06  |  Judith 25/10/06   7.   good news 14:10  |  Harry 25/10/06   8.   Explain this to me 14:14  |  Rami 25/10/06   9.   #4 14:36  |  Mike 25/10/06   10.   livni visit 14:50  |  SJ 25/10/06   11.   Livni in Qatar 14:57  |  Butch 25/10/06   12.   This is good news....... 15:04  |  Sam 25/10/06   13.   Mike#9 15:06  |  Sam 25/10/06   14.   #8 Rami. 15:28  |  Itsik 25/10/06   15.   Messaoud My Recommendation! 15:37  |  Yosemite Sam 25/10/06   16.   Messaoud dreams: arrest Livni, kill jews, spread 16:20  |  the pope 25/10/06   17.   Sam #9 00:27  |  Mike 26/10/06   18.   Oh well. 01:49  |  Paulo 29/10/06   19.   Stupid, stupid, stupid decision 01:50  |  Dave 29/10/06   20.   Livni and the Qatar visit. 01:58  |  sandra chitayat 29/10/06   21.   re: Judith #6 02:06  |  Paulo 29/10/06   22.   so stupid 02:06  |  dror 29/10/06   23.   Thank You Livni 02:31  |  Karam 29/10/06   24.   you make a point. But Why you let them in election 02:53  |  Simon Mohammed 29/10/06   25.   Well 02:54  |  SIMON MG 29/10/06   26.   Livni has no guts,another victory for Hamas!!! 03:34  |  Abu Ali 29/10/06   27.   Democracy? 03:57  |  Chris 29/10/06   28.   At the end she is the Israeli FM not us she knows what to do 04:05  |  Simon MoHammed 29/10/06   29.   This is Stupid, Ignore Hamas and Focus on Qatar 04:53  |  Joshua 29/10/06   30.   Foolish decision 05:24  |  peter 29/10/06   31.   Maybe Qatar Will Reconsider And Tell Hamas To Stay Home? 05:57  |  Yosemite Sam 29/10/06   32.   She has a Reputation to Protect , Well Done Livni 06:00  |  Joseph E . 29/10/06   33.   LIVNI AND QATOR 06:17  |  Roberto 29/10/06   34.   does not make any sense 06:41  |  moshe 29/10/06   35.   #30, peter 07:13  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 29/10/06   36.   she has a reputaion to protect 07:23  |  Sam 29/10/06   37.   It would be great if Livni could appear in Qatar, but not if 08:52  |  Shlomzion 29/10/06   38.   She should go anyway 09:02  |  B`Galil 29/10/06   39.   I Changed My Mind! Livni Should Go! 09:14  |  Yosemite Sam 29/10/06   40.   #35, Cipora Julianna Kohn 09:23  |  Fritz 29/10/06   41.   WAIT A MINUTE 09:27  |  27 Million Lebnanbes 29/10/06   42.   What a pity, I think she should go 09:38  |  Judith 29/10/06   43.   Oops, I forgot to add this link about Livni 09:44  |  Judith 29/10/06   44.   racist woman 09:56  |  Khalid 29/10/06   45.   Qatar, a prostitutional little emirate 10:02  |  KMS 29/10/06   46.   livni 10:41  |  CheHead 29/10/06   47.   Livni is behaving like a Jewish Princess 10:42  |  Clickfool 29/10/06   48.   Khalid, your reaction is exactly why she should go; to annoy you! 10:44  |  Judith 29/10/06   49.   hourra, the conference will be clean 11:19  |  * TALKBACK OBSERVER* 29/10/06   50.   Israel never learns..... 12:38  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   51.   Lost Opprtunity by Livni 14:24  |  Amnon 29/10/06   52.   We need not meet Arabs 05:12  |  Silvio Akcelrud 13/04/08

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