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Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. (Daniel Bar On / Jini)
Last update - 20:41 26/03/2008
Olmert threatens 'painful' steps against Hamas, rules out truce
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press
Tags: Hamas, Palestinians, Israel 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed Wednesday that Israel would take 'painful' measures against Hamas, and ruled out any possibility of talks toward a cease-fire.

"We are not talking to Hamas and we are not going to compromise with someone that is consistently shooting rockets on the heads of Israelis," Olmert told foreign journalists at a news conference, speaking in English.

"We will deal with Hamas in other ways and these ways will be very painful."
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The prime minister also pledged, however, to press ahead with peace talks with the Palestinian Authority until an agreement is achieved.

"We are absolutely determined to carry out these talks until we finalize a solution," he said.

Olmert said he believed an outline of a two-state solution can be achieved this year.

In an especially emotional statement, he insisted that the talks are essential. "If I want an excuse not to negotiate, believe me, I have many. If the other side wants an excuse to stop the process, they can find many," he said. Instead, he said, the two sides must concentrate on peace talks to settle their differences.

Olmert also called for concerted world action to prevent Iran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. He said "Israel has not changed its mind, based on its information, that Iran is attempting to achieve a non-conventional capacity," a reference to nuclear weapons, despite Iran's denial.

He said that "world leaders have said every option that can be of consequence on this issue should be considered, and I agree with this," a possible reference to military action.

Livni: IDF Gaza ops help move peace talks forward

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Wednesday defended the Israel Defense Forces' operations against Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip as necessary for the advancement of peace negotiations.

Speaking before a conference organized by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs in the capital on Wednesday, Livni warned of the adverse impact a possible Hamas-Fatah rapprochement would have on future Israel-PA relations.

"If the Palestinian national movement gives in to the other group [Hamas] this will have consequences on our ability to move forward in the political process," Livni said.

Livni also said that Israel would insist the Palestinians renounce all demands and declare an end to the conflict as part of any signed peace agreement. She added that a future Palestinian state would be the only possible solution to the Palestinian refugee problem.

Livni expressed concern at what she termed a growing trend of de-legitimization of Israel in world public opinion.

"If there are problems that we are facing, it isn't just our existence here but on our right to exist as a Jewish state," Livni said. "There is a tendency to deny our legitimacy as a national home for the Jews."

"It's clear to use what our values are but there is a huge, insufferable gap between Israel and its values versus Israel's image abroad that creates a lack of legitimacy," Livni said.

"I'm ready to stand before the judgement of the international community as long as it will judge me according to its values. I would expect that when civilians are harmed by deliberate terrorism, people won't make a comparison between them and Palestinian civilians that are harmed during Israel's defense operations."

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      1.   Bless you Tzipi! 12:52  |  Nechama 26/03/08
      2.   Livni: "a national home for the Jews." 13:00  |  David James Vickery 26/03/08
      3.   Livni`s right,there is a huge shift of public opinion towards 13:02  |  lakshmi 26/03/08
      4.   David James Vickery: what planet are you living on? 13:21  |  Ilan 26/03/08
      5.   Livni: "...what our values are..." 13:24  |  Dutch Dirk 26/03/08
      6.   #3; lakshmi 13:24  |  Doc Holliday 26/03/08
      7.   Livni Hasbara is Deplorable . 13:34  |  Joseph . E 26/03/08
      8.   #2 Vickery 13:46  |  MR 26/03/08
      9.   Livni is an idiot 13:46  |  better yours 26/03/08
      10.   VICKERY`S ARROGANCE 13:56  |  Brant 26/03/08
      11.   Livni: IDF operations in Gaza help move peace talks forward 14:06  |  Natallie Durson 26/03/08
      12.   Ho to stop this deligitimization once and for all 14:08  |  just a jew 26/03/08
      13.   Livni is deluded or just plain evil. 14:08  |  Deborah 26/03/08
      14.   James Vickery, an Israel Prophete?! 14:11  |  Avikhzer 26/03/08
      15.   Ms. Livni- non-Jews challenging Jewish success is nothing new 14:16  |  Sam 26/03/08
      16.   No such trend 14:29  |  Fahmi Natour 26/03/08
      17.   The Israeli Ministry of Truth 14:35  |  Clickfool 26/03/08
      18.   For "just a jew" # 12 14:38  |  Fortuna Benmayor 26/03/08
      19.   To #18 14:49  |  just a jew 26/03/08
      20.   The failure of the Oslo agreement. 14:54  |  Jean Van Daem 26/03/08
      21.   the american congress 15:10  |  bri 26/03/08
      22.   Reality check! 15:11  |  Paulo 26/03/08
      23.   FACTS CANNOT BE CHANGED WITH FALSE PROPAGANDA, HATRED & IGNORANCE 15:22  |  READ THE FACTS 26/03/08
      24.   Livni speaks....but does Livni REALLY care...? 15:27  |  Dagma 26/03/08
      25.   NO.19 15:36  |  Moshe 26/03/08
      26.   Worst than that, Deborah # 13 15:39  |  Clickfool 26/03/08
      27.   If Livni REALLY BELIEVES IN PEACE TALKS 15:44  |  Dolly 26/03/08
      28.   #5 Dutch Dirk...a ridiculous post! 15:52  |  DR 26/03/08
      29.   Livini 15:57  |  Martin 26/03/08
      30.   Drawing the line against a double standard 16:00  |  Morris Valentine 26/03/08
      31.   #10 - What`s Good for the Goose 16:25  |  DoubleClick 26/03/08
      32.   next 16:49  |  rm 26/03/08
      33.   Lakschmi & his ilk! 16:55  |  Rozz 26/03/08
      34.   if we make more war it will get us peace 17:02  |  Livni 26/03/08
      35.   Question for #3 Lakshmi 17:32  |  DR 26/03/08
      36.   Give me a break 17:33  |  Joe 26/03/08
      37.   Lakshmi does it again 18:01  |  H 26/03/08
      38.   one statet t for two 18:09  |  Jack Paulden 26/03/08
      39.   Dolly # 27 - Israel`s Glorious Past . 18:10  |  Dreamer 26/03/08
      40.   has the IQ of a toaster 18:19  |  Barry 26/03/08
      41.   talkbacks have more wisdom in a fingernail than Barak Ravid 18:23  |  Talkback Tony 26/03/08
      42.   There is no doubt that the zionist project in the 19th century 18:23  |  lakshmi 26/03/08
      43.   the end 18:32  |  keith 26/03/08
      44.   Kavkazcenter.com 18:35  |  Rozz 26/03/08
      45.   Who is foolish enough to believe in Peace.... 18:52  |  Dagma 26/03/08
      46.   `IDF operations in Gaza help move peace talks forward` 18:53  |  Colin Wright 26/03/08
      47.   Reciprocation 18:57  |  Matt Houston 26/03/08
      48.   To DR # 35 - The Palestinians....... 19:02  |  Dolly 26/03/08
      49.   # 13 Deborah UK 19:08  |  David 26/03/08
      50.   Fatah is allied 19:20  |  Paul 26/03/08
      51.   WHAT ABOUT IRAN, LIVNI BABY? 19:20  |  indrajaya 26/03/08
      52.   To Paulo in Lisbon 19:21  |  David 26/03/08
      53.   Time to execute terrorists 19:32  |  Haldrik 26/03/08
      54.   35 DR,there is already a Palestinian state,whose legal basis 19:44  |  lakshmi 26/03/08
      55.   to the editor 19:47  |  David 26/03/08
      56.   The FM can tell other nations to "mind their own business" 19:57  |  Jason 26/03/08
      57.   Move peace forward--like Kadima , they mean, which is real Ahora 20:44  |  Sal 26/03/08
      58.   lakshmi 21:32  |  rotenberg 26/03/08
      59.   What other ways? 21:36  |  Donald 26/03/08
      60.   As Israel We Stand 21:42  |  Zev 26/03/08
      61.   Better they should kill than 21:46  |  Mark Lincoln 26/03/08
      62.   David James Vickery 21:48  |  Barrie 26/03/08
      63.   lakshmi - what pal state 21:57  |  Adrian de Klerk 26/03/08
      64.   2.David James Vickery,there used to be a book of stories about 21:58  |  lakshmi 26/03/08
      65.   re 26 Grey roots are showing. Thats it? 21:59  |  Alan the real one 26/03/08
      66.   #5 avenging thoughtlessness 22:02  |  Zev 26/03/08
      67.   46 Barrie to Vickery,quite wrong!The hebrews were late comers to 22:20  |  lakshmi 26/03/08
      68.   Olmert`s threats 22:42  |  Rav Harley 26/03/08
      69.   How dare Olmert threaten Hamas with Painful steps 23:02  |  Dutch 26/03/08
      70.   Olmert huffs, and he puffs...... 23:28  |  Johnboy 26/03/08