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Eli Moyal (Left) meets FM Livni (Center) and Dutch FM Maxime Verhagen in Sderot last month. (AP)
Last update - 08:09 24/02/2008
Sderot mayor denies calling for cease-fire talks with Hamas
By Yigal Hai and Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondents, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Sderot, Hamas, Israel 

Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal sought to clarify Saturday remarks published in the British daily The Guardian, saying he does not believe Israel should conduct cease-fire talks with Hamas in order to bring an end to the incessant Qassam rocket fire that has plagued the western Negev town.

"During the interview I said that I believe we must not talk to Hamas, and that the Israeli government must not talk to Hamas," said Moyal.

"The reporter asked me what I would be willing to due for the residents of Sderot in order to stop this situation, and I answered that, as a citizen, and in order to defend the lives of Sderot residents, I would be willing to go anywhere and talks to Hamas, and with the devil himself.
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Moyal was quoted as telling The Guardian that he would be willing to negotiate directly with Hamas in an effort to reach a cease-fire and halt the near daily barrages of Qassam rockets that have plagued his town.

"I would say to Hamas, let's have a cease-fire, let's stop the rockets for the next 10 years and we will see what happens," Moyal, who is officially a member of the Likud, was quoted as saying. "For me as a person the most important thing is life and I'm ready to do everything for that. I'm ready to talk to the devil."

The Guardian reported that the mayor said a dialogue with Hamas offers Israel the best alternative to a major military offensive in Gaza, which would result in "innocent people being killed on both sides."

"Maybe one day in the future we will lose our patience and our values and invade," he said. "Imagine 20 kids [in Sderot] being killed in a kindergarten by a missile - then the Israel government would have to act and would lose its morality. If we don't talk we go deeper and deeper into war. If we don't talk we should fight."

Moyal told the paper he was invited to participate in talks with Hamas in Egypt, but the initiative never bore fruit due to it being "complicated."

"I believe that if they call me again I will be ready to do it. I will do the best I can to have that meeting," Moyal told The Guardian.

Former Shin Bet chief Yaakov Peri told Israel Radio on Saturday that the government should pursue direct talks with Hamas so as to expedite a prisoner swap for abducted soldier Gilad Shalit.

Israelis show solidarity with Sderot
More than 10,000 people came on Friday to Sderot to show their solidarity with the rocket-battered town.

To boost the town's faltering economy, the visitors bought groceries for Shabbat in the town's shops.

"This is one big carnival," Ilan Cohen, on of the organizers of the event, told Army Radio. "Thousands of people are on their way; 500 vehicles have departed from Tel Aviv. I'm urging everyone who can to come down here. We have all sorts of people."

On Thursday, dozens of residents of Sderot and neighboring communities in the western Negev held a protest in Tel Aviv, where they called for the government to take swift military action to fight the daily onslaught of Qassam rockets targeting their communities.

The protestors were joined by local council heads from the Negev, including leaders from Be'er Sheva and Mitzpe Ramon, both of which are far outside of the range of Qassams.

Moyal said the protest was held in order to "bring the struggle to Tel Aviv so that everyone will see there is no difference between Sderot and the center of the country."

Moyal vowed to take the protest to Haifa and other northern cities and promised the protest in Tel Aviv would stay there for many days to come.

In recent weeks, residents of the western Negev have held a number of protests in central Israel, including in front of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's residence in Jerusalem and outside Defense Minister Ehud Barak's house.

Related articles:
  • Nine Qassams hit Negev, one strikes yard of home in Sderot
  • Sderot protest / The Israel they don't belong to
  • Israel complains to UN Security Council over rocket barrage
  • Two children lightly hurt in Qassam strike on Negev kibbutz
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      1.   Part of Gaza that serves a launching site for QASAMs should be... 15:17  |  Vittorio 22/02/08
      2.   Sderot residents. 15:26  |  Jean Van Daem 22/02/08
      3.   Again how come the haters have nothing to say here? 16:39  |  Robert/Montreal 22/02/08
      4.   I think this is nice and good 16:48  |  Mark B. 22/02/08
      5.   6,3 billion 18:01  |  Dav 22/02/08
      6.   Rocket kicks 20:06  |  utagawa 22/02/08
      7.   Return them to where they came from 22:48  |  Javad 22/02/08
      8.   utagawa # 6 the only thing i see wrong with your solution to the 23:33  |  terrornator 22/02/08
      9.   Israel can protect her citizens. 00:56  |  Maureen Ann 23/02/08
      10.   Multiple millions around the world show solidarity with Gazans. 01:18  |  Maki 23/02/08
      11.   NAJD, not Sderot 03:16  |  Pete 23/02/08
      12.   Maureen Ann 04:52  |  Bruce 23/02/08
      13.   Pete #11 04:54  |  Jean-Pierre 23/02/08
      14.   #1 Implementation of Security measures viable but.... 06:16  |  Magnify 23/02/08
      15.   Chicken Little 06:24  |  Mark Lincoln 23/02/08
      16.   Can Israel be saved from a reasonable man? 12:51  |  Natallie Durson 23/02/08
      17.   All power to Eli Moyal! 13:04  |  Esther 23/02/08
      18.   Palestinians Ceased Fire for Months, But Israel Kept on Killing 13:18  |  Lev Bronstein 23/02/08
      19.   Eli Moyal naif? 13:30  |  Albert 23/02/08
      20.   #6 Utagawa 13:37  |  Albert 23/02/08
      21.   #8 terromator 13:41  |  Albert 23/02/08
      22.   #7 Javad 13:43  |  Albert 23/02/08
      23.   #1 Vittorio 13:45  |  Albert 23/02/08
      24.   #11 Pete NAJD?? hahhahaha 13:48  |  Albert 23/02/08
      25.   Working toward Peace 13:55  |  desires of peace 23/02/08
      26.   obviously the Sderot mayor has rare intelligence in Israhel 14:04  |  keeping score 23/02/08
      27.   3. again the hater robutt/montreal has nothing intelligent 14:06  |  duh? 23/02/08
      28.   But untermenschen must be shown their place 14:10  |  Clickfool 23/02/08
      29.   The European Parliament has called for an end to the vile siege 14:19  |  lakshmi 23/02/08
      30.   Report: Sderot mayor says willing to talk with Hamas 14:20  |  Julian 23/02/08
      31.   maureen 14:23  |  Rab Burns 23/02/08
      32.   "I`m ready to talk to the devil." -Sderot mayor lost his mind ? 14:35  |  Lucca Gamberini 23/02/08
      33.   OK, LET TRY IT 14:43  |  indrajaya 23/02/08
      34.   After helping create Hamas, Israel is finally taking to them... 14:44  |  POP 23/02/08
      35.   Sderot 14:45  |  G. Sheffy 23/02/08
      36.   NO BIG DEAL 14:46  |  indrajaya 23/02/08
      37.   here`s a serious suggestion for the Mayor of Sderot 14:46  |  Clickfool 23/02/08
      38.   I like this Guy 14:46  |  Doc Holliday 23/02/08
      39.   #5 Dav 6.3 billion? 14:47  |  * BEN JABO 23/02/08
      40.   #9 Maureen Ann - your unsolicited advice 14:51  |  * BEN JABO 23/02/08
      41.   Talk to Hamas 15:49  |  Dik 23/02/08
      42.   reasonable men #16 15:58  |  david gold 23/02/08
      43.   This Mayor is a total moron. Kill the enemy, not talk to them. 16:54  |  Gary A., MD 23/02/08
      44.   Good Idea 16:59  |  Mark Lincoln 23/02/08
      45.   I thought Sderot was under military occupation. 17:18  |  Stephen. 23/02/08
      46.   Israel as a whole must talk to Hamas. 18:01  |  Deborah 23/02/08
      47.   Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal Statement Is due to Despair 18:11  |  Joseph . E 23/02/08
      48.   For Gary A MD # 43 18:25  |  Clickfool 23/02/08
      49.   Whether Talks Or No Talks The Devil Want To Kill You 18:27  |  Joseph . E 23/02/08
      50.   a hunane solution for the W`Jewry/Arab 18:50  |  triska 23/02/08
      51.   Albert and a dialogue of rockets 19:00  |  utagawa 23/02/08
      52.   #36 Indrajaya, Excellent point! 19:43  |  Dutch 23/02/08
      53.   Do we hear the sound of a man being leaned on? 20:32  |  Clickfool 23/02/08
      54.   Pete # 11 20:38  |  ChanahS 23/02/08
      55.   Magnify 20:40  |  ChanahS 23/02/08
      56.   haaretz - learn to spell the word "do" 20:55  |  punctual zionist 23/02/08
      57.   Moyal... one step forward, two steps back.... 20:57  |  Esther 23/02/08
      58.   # 51 utagawa. Reminds me of a story.. 21:32  |  Stephen. 23/02/08
      59.   The Guardian is lying, who`da thunk it? 21:49  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 23/02/08
      60.   Lev Bronstein - Hamas Ceased fire - No they didn`t 21:54  |  Reid 23/02/08
      61.   # 54 Margie Guardian Lying? Impossible! 22:31  |  fiona 23/02/08
      62.   #7 "Return them where they came from", Javad? 22:33  |  You mean, Kassams? 23/02/08
      63.   Ooooops, I never said nuffink 22:37  |  Chanalau, Tova 23/02/08
      64.   Empty and useless polemyc... 22:51  |  Ben Aderet 23/02/08
      65.   Hello Fiona :) 23:05  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 23/02/08
      66.   Why do I visualise Chanalau Raa as pimply and blackheaded? 23:06  |  x-ray 23/02/08
      67.   Thank you, Mr. Clickfool#37 for your most thoughful suggestion... 23:33  |  Dr. L. Brnd 23/02/08
      68.   the guardian 00:34  |  Shmuelshachor 24/02/08
      69.   Javad 00:45  |  Yair 24/02/08
      70.   Chanalau, Tova # 58 The Horror Of Horrors