Livni calls int'l attempts to mend Hamas-Fatah rift 'huge mistake' - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Thu., August 16, 2007 Elul 2, 5767

Israel Time: 18:08 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Arts & Leisure

Real Estate

Jewish World

National

Advertising

Magazine

Week's End

Business

Opinion

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Travel

Sports

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Last update - 21:18 14/08/2007

Livni calls int'l attempts to mend Hamas-Fatah rift 'huge mistake'

By News Agencies

Israel said on Tuesday it would be a "big mistake" for the international community to try to bridge differences between Hamas Islamists and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' secular Fatah faction.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was responding to calls from Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and British parliamentarians for dialogue with Hamas, whose fighters routed Fatah and seized control of the Gaza Strip in June.

"I know that it looks tempting and I know that the international community is eager to see a kind of an understanding between Hamas and Fatah," Livni told a news conference with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso.

	Advertisement

"This is wrong. This is a mistake. Big mistake. Huge," Livni said, tapping the table for emphasis.

Israel and the United States have tried to isolate Hamas in Gaza while opening economic and political taps to support Abbas and his Western-backed government in the occupied West Bank.

Livni said the international community's role was critical and "any compromise with terror, any compromise with these extremists, can lead to undermining the new government in the Palestinian Authority".

"The idea is that now there is a chance in the dialogue between Israel and the new Palestinian government. We can reach something. It's there," Livni said.

Steny Hoyer, the majority leader in the Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives, emerged from a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad voicing confidence Fatah would not seek a new unity pact with Hamas.

"Mr. Fayad made it very clear that Hamas could not be and would not be a partner in moving forward," Hoyer told reporters.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been under pressure from the Bush administration to take more concrete steps to bolster Abbas before a U.S.-sponsored conference on the long-stalled peace process expected to take place in November.

The goal is an agreement on statehood principles.

"The idea is to reach the widest common denominator between Israel and the Palestinians," Livni said.

To bolster Abbas, Olmert has started releasing frozen tax funds, freed some Palestinian prisoners and agreed to hold talks on "fundamental issues" for establishing a Palestinian state.

During their meeting last week, Olmert assured Abbas he would begin to remove some of the roadblocks that restrict Palestinian travel in the West Bank, Palestinian officials said.

But senior Abbas aide Saeb Erekat, who had expected to receive a roadblock removal plan from Defense Minister Ehud Barak this week, said, "They told us they're not ready yet. I'm really disappointed."

Japan's foreign minister pledges support for Abbas
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso on Tuesday pledged his country's support for Abbas, a day after Japan said it would resume direct aid to the moderate Palestinian government.

Japan has avoided providing direct financial assistance to the Palestinians since the Islamic group Hamas won an election and came to power in March, 2006.

Abbas expelled Hamas from the government two months ago, after the group's militants took over Gaza by force, and formed a new government of moderates that has won broad international backing.

Speaking alongside Livni, Aso said Japan would support Abbas in a visible manner.

On Wednesday, Livni and Aso will participate in a four-way meeting in the West Bank town of Jericho with their Jordanian and Palestinian counterparts.

At the Jericho meeting, Aso will officially present a $20 million Japanese aid package to the Palestinians and discuss a new Japanese plan known as the Corridor for Peace and Prosperity. The initiative seeks to boost economic cooperation and development between Israel and the Palestinians as a means of reviving the peace process.

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Rosemount rising
	Over the past 30 years, Rosemount Estate has earned a good name for its wines.


	Profiting from crisis
	Form a clear financial opinion about the credit market and place your bets.




1.	Cowed Livni doesn`t dare to say Hamas is unacceptable to Israel	18:14	\|	Absolute Sweden	14/08/07

2.	livni attempts	18:30	\|	scanadu	14/08/07

3.	Livni is right. The efforts to bring about an accomodation	18:33	\|	Avihu	14/08/07

4.	Israel is not helping Abass, thy`re obstucting him	18:55	\|	Moise	14/08/07

5.	What else is new! Sten Hoyer & the democrats are in the pockets	19:01	\|	lakshmi	14/08/07

6.	FM Tzipi Livni`s right	19:11	\|	J.M.Jordan	14/08/07

7.	Where are all these millions going exactly?	19:17	\|	Ken	14/08/07

8.	Why is Israel so Afraid of Hamas?	19:35	\|	Kevin	14/08/07

9.	LIVNI. MOVE FASTER. GIVE US YOUR COUNTRY!!	19:57	\|	ALI	14/08/07

10.	2 States solution, "This is wrong. This is a mistake. Big mistake	20:00	\|	Joseph E .	14/08/07

11.	Corridor for Peace and Prosperity	20:08	\|	Akiva Patysh	14/08/07

12.	Of course, Israel does not want peace, it wants the land	20:19	\|	Mr. Knowitall	14/08/07

13.	Kevin of Las Cruces, New Mexico	20:23	\|	Akiva Patysh	14/08/07

14.	#8 Kevin hits the nail right on the head	20:44	\|	Ben Alofs	14/08/07

15.	Ben Alofs,Livni and the Universe value your opinion,	21:30	\|	Absolute Sweden	14/08/07

16.	Just Another "Land Grab" Strategy	21:31	\|	Double Click	14/08/07

17.	The daughter of the terrorist can say that	21:32	\|	Chris Linthwaite	14/08/07

18.	Livni is being a little too transparent	21:45	\|	Natallie Durson	14/08/07

19.	Nobody likes Hamas & Israel works for Abbas	22:01	\|	zionist forever	14/08/07

20.	she`s quite right in at least one sense	22:41	\|	frenz	14/08/07

21.	How dare Tzipi Livni call it a huge mistake.	23:08	\|	Dutch	14/08/07

22.	you cannot ignore Hamas	23:36	\|	European	14/08/07

23.	Bush Just Another Devil From The Holocaust	23:42	\|	Yanatan	14/08/07

24.	it is none of Israel`s business	00:23	\|	mehmet	15/08/07

25.	I beg your pardon. Ms. Livni	00:34	\|	Axel	15/08/07

26.	12Mr.Knowitall,agree there something sick & immoral about the	00:37	\|	lakshmi	15/08/07

27.	re: Avihu #3	01:32	\|	Paulo	15/08/07

28.	re: Kevin #8	01:41	\|	Paulo	15/08/07

29.	There`s no such thing as Hamas, There`s no such thing as Hamas	02:08	\|	Rachel C.	15/08/07

30.	R. Corrie, Please,....	02:34	\|	Akiva Patysh	15/08/07

31.	#26 Lakshmi	03:53	\|	Mr. Knowitall	15/08/07

32.	The one government in the region	05:45	\|	Mark Lincoln	15/08/07

33.	shes foolish	07:53	\|	ravi	15/08/07

34.	hamas shmamas	08:32	\|	gershon	15/08/07

35.	Israel created this mess to divide and "conquer"	14:01	\|	dolores	15/08/07

36.	absolute sweden 1	00:11	\|	realism	16/08/07

37.	Have you changed your mind, Paulo of Lisbon, and now you	12:03	\|	Asaf Noyman	16/08/07

38.	#10 is incompetent	17:30	\|	Wake-up	16/08/07

Today Online


	Turkey working to jumpstart Israel-Syria peace talks
	Responses: 46


	Israel to promote 'economic horizon' for future PA state
	Responses: 68


	Israel, U.S. formally sign new defense agreement
	Responses: 71


	Dr. Ron Breiman: The peace process is an existential threat
	Responses: 33


	Satmar rebbe late to community event due to women's presence
	Responses: 59


	Barak: Defending the refusal of orders threatens democracy
	Responses: 27

Rosner's Domain

* WTR: Giuliani advisor: Bush will bomb Iran

* Edwards: Iraq a trap, Giuliani: Vietnam a victory

* Guest: Looking for Reform Jewish men

* The looming American operation in Pakistan

More Headlines
16:20 Israel, U.S. formally sign new defense agreement


18:06 Balad MK: Barak to blame for Palestinian teen's at checkpoint


14:31 Report: Bodies of 3 PFLP men killed in 1982 found in Lebanon


17:20 Most settlements lie east of fence, most settlers west


14:44 TASE opens trading with sharp losses across the board


12:13 Turkey working to jumpstart peace talks between Israel, Syria


10:55 Israel to promote 'economic horizon' for future Palestinian state


10:32 MK Schneller: Cabinet approved settlers' stay in Hebron market


12:21 Report: Jordanian FM refused to take Israeli car to Jericho


10:04 Satmar rebbe late to community event due to women's presence