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Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. (Jini Archives)
Last update - 22:53 15/12/2007
Livni to try to prevent Quartet condemnation of East Jerusalem construction
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Tzipi Livni, Israel, Quartet 

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will try in the coming days to avoid Quartet condemnation of Israel over its decision to build new homes in a controversial East Jerusalem neighborhood.

The so-called Quartet of Middle East negotiators ? the United States, European Union, Russia, and the United Nations ? are expected to meet at the foreign minister level on the sidelines of Monday's conference of Palestinian Authority donor states in Paris, France.

According to information obtained by the Foreign Ministry, the Palestinians are pushing for the Quartet to issue a statement condemnation of Israel's decision to build some 300 new homes in Har Homa.
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Senior Israeli officials held contacts Thursday and Friday with representatives of the Quartet members, in an attempt to calm concerns and reduce the international criticism of Israel.

Livni met Thursday with the new UN special envoy to the Middle East, Robert Serry, who according to diplomatic sources expressed concern over the planned construction.

Serry warned the construction could hamper negotiations. Livni for her part sought to clarify that the construction is legal, and that the approval does not represent a change in the government's policy on settlement construction.

Israeli officials also met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Walsh, in which Walsh briefed the officials on his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Walsh said the Palestinians maintain it is difficult for them to conduct negotiations while Israel continues construction in the West Bank. Walsh said the Bush administration is interested to know whether Israel intends to approve any further tenders.

The Israeli officials said they "understand that this bothers the Palestinians, but the political echelon was not involved in the tender in any way."

The donor state conference will seek to raise billions of dollars for PA institutions. Jerusalem sources said Israel wants to preserve the conference as a mechanism to push the political process forward.

"We want the conference to focus on the positive momentum and not negative issues," said one source. "These are crises that have happened and will happen and they should not bring negotiations to a halt each time."

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      1.   I condemn Israel for East J`lem building 22:59  |  POP 15/12/07
      2.   How to prevent condemnation by Quartet 23:03  |  Moshe 15/12/07
      3.   arabs and muslims have scores of capitals. jerusalem`s jewish. 23:18  |  patel 15/12/07
      4.   Real cool! 23:21  |  Axel 15/12/07
      5.   Quartet also seeks conditions for peace and HAMAS 23:34  |  The Equalizer 15/12/07
      6.   Pres. Bush is the problem 00:02  |  Wendy 16/12/07
      7.   Quarter is simply doing its job 00:03  |  Alain 16/12/07
      8.   Preventing Peace 00:17  |  Dan 16/12/07
      9.   Untenable..... 00:27  |  Esther 16/12/07
      10.   Israel and Quartet 00:46  |  Garry 16/12/07
      11.   Splendid isolation 00:56  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/12/07
      12.   ENOUGH Of The US/Quartet Being Israel`s Poodle!! "Lead Or..." 00:56  |  Proud Pal Defender 16/12/07
      13.   1 pop 00:56  |  leo 16/12/07
      14.   I also condemn Israel for East J`lem building 01:19  |  Andrew 16/12/07
      15.   Livni should demand Quartet rejection of PA "Jewish State" stance 01:21  |  Dr. L. Brnd 16/12/07
      16.   NEXT MOVEMENT 01:37  |  Brant 16/12/07
      17.   quartet condemnation 01:57  |  marv 16/12/07
      18.   # 2 your theory is flawed, moshe 02:02  |  eric 16/12/07
      19.   Repulsive quartet 02:06  |  Frank 16/12/07
      20.   # 5 the equalizer in FLORIDA is wrong 02:25  |  eric 16/12/07
      21.   #1 pop the shmok 02:30  |  danny 16/12/07
      22.   The Quartet is Worthless 02:34  |  Straight Talk 16/12/07
      23.   # 6 i hope you`re right, wendy 02:40  |  eric 16/12/07
      24.   Livni,not a chance,you know all settlements are illegal! 03:06  |  lakshmi 16/12/07
      25.   So funny for a democratic country... 03:09  |  Silex 16/12/07
      26.   Quartet Crap 03:19  |  Brod 16/12/07
      27.   As soon as Annapolis was over 05:10  |  Mark Lincoln 16/12/07
      28.   PALESTINIANS Have No Partner! Israel Isn`t A Partner For ANYBODY. 05:32  |  Proud Pal Defender 16/12/07
      29.   # 19 to frank in CANADA 05:52  |  eric 16/12/07
      30.   jerusalem is jewish. let vienna first give itself to muslems 06:51  |  ralph 16/12/07
      31.   Mark #27 15:06  |  Brod 16/12/07
      32.   #10 Garry 22:12  |  Reality 16/12/07
      33.   "as soon as Anapolis was over" 00:19  |  Ben Othman 17/12/07
      34.   Olmert commited to `freeze squatter settlement acivities` 15:47  |  Saul 17/12/07
      35.   ralph pay attention: acourding to UN and Int. Law Jerusalem is 15:52  |  Saul 17/12/07
      36.   international court 21:09  |  Shami 10/03/08
      37.   new home construction 21:56  |  Herold 10/03/08
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