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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. (Kobi Gideon / BauBau)
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Last update - 17:28 19/09/2007
Rice after Livni meet: Iran sanctions can work, must have teeth
By Barak Ravid and Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters Wednesday after meeting with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem that using a diplomatic track as part of efforts to halt the Iranian nuclear program can work, but it "has to have teeth."

She said that the calls by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to wipe Israel off the face of the map meant that it "can't be business as usual in Iran."

Regarding the decision by Israel to declare the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip as an "enemy entity", Rice said that the "U.S. will not abandon the innocent Palestinians in Gaza," but reiterated American concerns over the Hamas takeover of the coastal strip.

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"We expect the Palestinians to understand that Israeli security is in their own interests," Livni said, adding that Palestinians must appreciate "that supporting Hamas won't help them."

Rice said earlier Wednesday "critical issues" would be tackled at a U.S.-led peace conference and called on Israelis and Palestinians to do more to bridge their differences.

Speaking en route to Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, Rice said she hoped her brief trip would build up momentum ahead of the conference.

Rice's 24-hour visit will also include a visit to the West Bank.

Israeli-Palestinian disagreements over what to expect from the talks have cast a shadow over the conference, called by U.S. President George W. Bush after the Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June.

"We can't simply continue to say we want a two-state solution, we have got to start to move towards one," Rice told reporters before a refueling stop in Shannon, Ireland.

"This international meeting is also going to be doing exactly that. This is not a matter just to declare that we all want to see a two-state solution," she added.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to try to set a timetable with Rice for progress in advance of the regional conference scheduled to be held in Washington in November.

He will try to convince Rice that "joint declarations," including a mention of the core issues, are sufficient for the conference, and that a full "agreement of principles" is not needed.

Rice landed in Israel on Wednesday afternoon and went straight to the Foreign Ministry, to meet with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and hold a press conference.

Later, she will meet with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

She is also expected to meet with the U.S. security coordinator, Lieutenant General Keith Dayton, and hear from him about his progress in reforming Palestinian security agencies.

On Thursday morning she will meet President Shimon Peres, and then travel to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. She will leave Israel in the afternoon.

Olmert held his first meeting Tuesday with the negotiating team established to formulate the joint statement for the conference. Livni and Barak also attended, as did several other senior officials, including Foreign Ministry Director General Aharon Abramovitch, Amos Gilad from the Defense Ministry and Olmert's senior aides.

The participants coordinated the messages they will give Rice, with the emphasis being on the regional conference. Ramon did not participate in the meeting, but the Prime Minister's Office said that he was involved in the preparations.

"The main goal of the meeting with Rice will be coordinating expectations for the three sides," a senior official said. "We want to see what still has to be done before the conference in November and what can be achieved."

No date has been set yet for a meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.

Barak will inform Rice that Israel plans to remove 24 barriers in the West Bank in order to ease travel among Palestinian cities and villages. If this does not lead to any security problems, Israel will also remove a manned checkpoint and expand security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority.

Barak will present the plan to the security cabinet Wednesday before meeting with Rice. Barak's main message to Rice will be that security comes before diplomacy. In other words, that the Palestinians will have show results in the security realm before any diplomatic progress can be made.

The security cabinet was also to discuss economic sanctions against the Gaza Strip, in response to the ongoing Qassam rocket fire directed at southern Israel.
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  1.   What for? 02:43  |  lakshmi 19/09/07
  2.   Rice visit 04:51  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 19/09/07
  3.   Rice is on a mission 06:22  |  Natallie Durson 19/09/07
  4.   Correction to Post #3 08:14  |  Double Click 19/09/07
  5.   IF ANYONE TRYS TO SPLIT MY LAND 08:34  |  KING OF THE UNIVERSE 19/09/07
  6.   Isrel planning constant showers for the people of Gaza 08:36  |  Clickfool 19/09/07
  7.   A two-state solution, Condi? 09:13  |  Aharon Rosenbaum 19/09/07
  8.   The enslavement of an entire Nation 09:27  |  Phillies Wright 19/09/07
  9.   Why don`t Rice and Cheney just fight on live TV? 09:43  |  Michael 19/09/07
  10.   The critical issues. 09:51  |  Vital 19/09/07
  11.   Send Condi to Russia 10:17  |  DK 19/09/07
  12.   Dual use cut off to Gaza: steel pipe, sugar, nitrate fertilizer 10:37  |  Dr. L. Brnd 19/09/07
  13.   Please, Msr. Wright... 10:38  |  Giles Martin 19/09/07
  14.   It`s clear the State Department is pressing Israel to suicide 10:47  |  Absolute Sweden 19/09/07
  15.   The US is keeping it`s oil masters happy and their Saudi Plan... 10:48  |  Nannette 19/09/07
  16.   Rice is right on substance, king of unicycle confused on Bible 11:04  |  Ivar 19/09/07
  17.   2 states solution Hoax , 3 states solution more likely 11:20  |  Joseph E . 19/09/07
  18.   Hey Barak...... 11:42  |  Maher Abu-Gaith 19/09/07
  19.   Rice , regional peace conference 12:02  |  iletzter 19/09/07
  20.   Such nonesense since... 12:09  |  Avi 19/09/07
  21.   16Ivar &5 the King,Ivar every thread has its jokester,but most 12:16  |  lakshmi 19/09/07
  22.   For Clickfool 12:17  |  Avi 19/09/07
  23.   Protest Today in Paris Square 7PM against Rice & Olmert!!!! 12:33  |  Yosef 19/09/07
  24.   Condi, you antisemite Stay home 12:46  |  Hilda 19/09/07
  25.   Correction to Double Click 12:51  |  Hilda 19/09/07
  26.   Rice landed in Israel on Wednesday afternoon and went straight to 12:57  |  Just little ole me 19/09/07
  27.   The only viable Two-state solution 13:03  |  Judith, Haifa 19/09/07
  28.   # 22 13:04  |  look@both sides 19/09/07
  29.   Wrong again Clickfool 13:06  |  Avi 19/09/07
  30.   lakshmi`s point should make Israel jubilate Saudi plan 13:13  |  Ivar 19/09/07
  31.   There can never be any separate Arab political entity 14:26  |  Uzi 19/09/07
  32.   Two states living side by side in peace, i.e. Israel and Jordan: 14:31  |  Uzi 19/09/07
  33.   On typos and vitriol.... 14:34  |  Esther 19/09/07
  34.   Don`t Be So Hard On Condi 16:00  |  Yosemite 19/09/07
  35.   save america 16:24  |  guy 19/09/07
  36.   To lakshmi, Ivan and Haman-like individuals 16:43  |  Avi 19/09/07
  37.   Yosemite from very Un-holy-wood 16:49  |  Avi 19/09/07
  38.   For the wishful thinker in Guy 16:52  |  Avi 19/09/07
  39.   Rice in decline 18:08  |  Mark Lincoln 19/09/07
  40.   Diplomacy: The illusion of hope! 20:49  |  Alphaeus 19/09/07
  41.   The subtext of the September report 20:54  |  Natallie Durson 19/09/07
  42.   Two State Solution is dead 21:28  |  jan 19/09/07
  43.   # 32 Uzi 22:10  |  North American 19/09/07
  44.   #41 NUT allie Durson 22:38  |  * BEN JABO 19/09/07
  45.   # 5 king of the universe...the israel connection. 23:19  |  maria 19/09/07
  46.   lakshmi....israelis were persecuted,enslaved.... 23:33  |  maria 19/09/07
  47.   Israel is not serious about peace and neither is Rice 23:40  |  JH 19/09/07
  48.   Jake Hoff of Concord NH 00:44  |  akiva 20/09/07
  49.   Durson # 41 00:52  |  Sabra 20/09/07
  50.   To Hilda #24 01:18  |  Persian Kitty 20/09/07
  51.   Rather distored JH 01:29  |  Mark Lincoln 20/09/07
  52.   Rice say`s Sanctions must have teeth 02:17  |  * BEN JABO 20/09/07
  53.   Diplomacy Can`t work 03:16  |  Brod 20/09/07
  54.   Slavery and ... 03:33  |  MIBarton MA. 20/09/07
  55.   Slavery and ... 03:33  |  MIBarton MA. 20/09/07
  56.   Iranian, Syrian Political Monkey`s 03:45  |  Free the World 20/09/07
  57.   RiceWorks for Arabs - She Is US Traitor 04:06  |  J 20/09/07
  58.   The USA needs to be tougher with both sides 04:16  |  Jack 20/09/07
  59.   #JH 05:29  |  Lisen 20/09/07
  60.   JH - Rice has only delivered peace with North Korea 05:33  |  Mark Lincoln 20/09/07
  61.   Jan, this is true, but it will take a while to prove it 05:39  |  Mark Lincoln 20/09/07
  62.   51--J 06:24  |  steve 20/09/07
  63.   MIBarton MA--No. 48 06:27  |  steve 20/09/07
  64.   T-REX TEETH WILL THE BEST ONES 08:00  |  indrajaya 20/09/07
  65.   `Iran sanctions can work, must have teeth` 08:28  |  Colin Wright 20/09/07
  66.   Mark #60 12:59  |  Brod 20/09/07
  67.   #60 Lincoln Rice`s Peace?? 15:59  |  * BEN JABO 20/09/07
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