Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., April 20, 2008 Nisan 15, 5768 | | Israel Time: 17:21 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. (AP)
Last update - 18:44 13/04/2008
Iranian, Lebanese officials to skip Doha Forum over Livni's participation
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Tzipi Livni, Qatar, Israel 

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni arrived on Sunday for a first visit in Qatar, where she is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on international dialogue and peace before the Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade.

Foreign Ministry sources said that senior officials from Iran and Lebanon have decided to boycott participation in the forum due to Livni's participation.

Those officials include Lebanon's parliament speaker, Nabi Berri, former Lebanese foreign minister Fauzi Saluh and former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami.
Advertisement
While in Qatar, Livni hopes to convince Arab states to bolster their support for the Palestinian Authority to enable effective negotiations for a peace settlement.

Livni is due to address the Doha Forum on Monday evening, according to the forum agenda.

Livni also hopes to use the three-day visit to build a consensus among Arab nations against Iran's nuclear ambitions and to promote a "gradual" normalization of ties between Israel and Gulf states in order to facilitate the peace process.

On the eve of her trip, Livni told Qatar's Al-Watan newspaper "stopping Iran is in the joint interest of Israel and the Arab world together and generates the understanding that Israel and Islamic countries in the region face a common threat."

Livni's visit to speak at an international forum is the first by a senior Israeli official since President Shimon Peres visited Doha in January 2007, when he was deputy prime minister.

Like all six U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states, Qatar does not have official diplomatic ties with Israel but unlike them it does host a small Israeli trade mission.

Qatari officials, including Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, have met Livni before but her invitation to speak on Arab land remains a significant step amid icy Arab-Israeli ties.

Livni praised Qatar's willingness to talk to all parties in the Middle East conflict, and saw an opportunity for Israel and the Arabs to build a front against Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"Iran represents a threat to the region and to the world and we cannot tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran... I see an opportunity here," she added.

Like the other Sunni Muslim-ruled Gulf Arab countries, Qatar is concerned about the growing influence of Shi'ite Muslim Iran and its uranium enrichment program.

Iran says its program is meant for electricity generation, but Washington charges it wants to develop atomic weapons.

Israeli officials said she was expected to meet with the emir and Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, but it was not clear if she will meet with other Arab leaders in Doha.

Livni dismissed rumors she was using the Doha conference to meet Palestinian or Syrian officials, but said she would meet with officials attending the three-day event.

Among the Arab officials set to attend the forum are the foreign minister of Oman, which closed a similar Israeli trade mission after the start of the Palestinian uprising in 2000.

During her visit, Livni may also address the Qatari-based network Al Jazeera, which Israel has accused of biased reporting on Israel's activity in the Palestinian territories.

Related articles:
  • Report: Meshal says Israel, U.S. nixing deal to free Gilad Shalit
  • FM Livni meets Arab leaders in N.Y. in bid to normalize ties
  • Qatar PM sues Kuwaiti paper which criticized his ties to Israel
  • Qatar willing to broker cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas
  • Livni cancels Qatar visit due to Hamas plan to attend summit
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    A gentleman's word
    Olmert tells Haaretz he knows Iran won't have nuclear capacity.
    Farewell to arms
    B'Tselem says IDF must ban wide-range shell that killed civilians in Gaza.
      1.   OH G-D NO!!! 01:28  |  Brant 13/04/08
      2.   Tzipi Livni 01:34  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      3.   YOU GO GIRL!! ....Best wishes 01:40  |  Lynn 13/04/08
      4.   LMFAO - Be our friends while we occupy your people 01:55  |  POP 13/04/08
      5.   Hi! Will you guys hold. . . . 02:14  |  Mark Lincoln 13/04/08
      6.   We will promote normalized ties with Arab states 02:43  |  Headache 13/04/08
      7.   POP, MARK and HEADACHE 03:18  |  Brant 13/04/08
      8.   wishing her the best and 03:25  |  Larzbeach 13/04/08
      9.   Bless you Tzipi! 04:27  |  Nechama 13/04/08
      10.   Good news! One step forward towards normalization 04:42  |  Smadar 13/04/08
      11.   POP...Pals are their own people 05:32  |  Lynn 13/04/08
      12.   Curious what she will wear 05:40  |  Avrum 13/04/08
      13.   Excellent, Tzipi; good luck ! 06:06  |  Fortuna Benmayor 13/04/08
      14.   wtf? 06:36  |  sholom 13/04/08
      15.   Something for nothing 06:56  |  Natallie Durson 13/04/08
      16.   MAKE PEACE WITH ISRAELI OR WE KILL MORE ARABS 07:30  |  Jim 13/04/08
      17.   Natallie Durson - Israel already has normal ties with some arab 08:58  |  a 13/04/08
      18.   Haaretz... You say that Livni WAS to leave for Qatar Sunday... 09:00  |  a 13/04/08
      19.   Normalize relations with Arabs now 09:04  |  Slibovitz 13/04/08
      20.   Normalisation ? 09:46  |  Palestinian Brit 13/04/08
      21.   BEGGAR TZIPI 09:47  |  JoeMomma 13/04/08
      22.   Why does violence animate Islam ? 10:16  |  Jean Van Daem 13/04/08
      23.   natalie : nothing for nothing. 10:29  |  arthur 13/04/08
      24.   slibovitz 10:30  |  Joseph Bishara 13/04/08
      25.   POP: so you agree pals are arabs! 10:49  |  arthur 13/04/08
      26.   Israel`s natural allies 11:06  |  Clickfool 13/04/08
      27.   To # 12 she can wear pikini ha ha ha 11:39  |  Bob 13/04/08
      28.   For those who missed the point 12:12  |  Natallie Durson 13/04/08
      29.   Normalization will come, not if but when 12:42  |  Conroy 13/04/08
      30.   the blind leading the blind send a woman to normalise relations w 13:12  |  victor hardman 13/04/08
      31.   great...but 13:20  |  ravi 13/04/08
      32.   # 6 Headache...isn`t it just awful? 15:37  |  Lynn 13/04/08
      33.   CLICKFOOL AND THE TSUNAMI... 15:38  |  Brant 13/04/08
      34.   convincing Arabs to support PA? HA HA HA 17:38  |  Moise 13/04/08
      35.   Lynn #32 18:29  |  Headache 13/04/08
      36.   To Clickfool 9#26): Naturally so 18:45  |  Morris Valentine 13/04/08
      37.   Revealing Iran`s weak point 18:52  |  Fortuna Benmayor 13/04/08
      38.   Lebanon 19:15  |  Paul 13/04/08
      39.   Livni nonsense 19:18  |  imad 13/04/08
      40.   Rather Peculiar 19:20  |  omid the Persian 13/04/08
      41.   This is nonsense. 19:33  |  shannen 13/04/08
      42.   We Are Finally Zeroing In On The Problem 19:50  |  Yosemite 13/04/08
      43.   Clickfool- Islamic extemism # 26 19:58  |  Avrum 13/04/08
      44.   #21`: JoeMomma, the beggars of course who? 19:59  |  Doc Holliday 13/04/08
      45.   Natalie Durson- #28" It is a fight to the finish" 20:08  |  Avrum 13/04/08
      46.   it is embarresing to the human race 20:12  |  sam 13/04/08
      47.   MOnthly Doha debates 20:17  |  sweis Melbourne 13/04/08
      48.   They talk of normalization, but not an end to the Occupation. 20:19  |  El-Birawi 13/04/08
      49.   #40, Omid the Persian 20:37  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      50.   What Livini should wear to Qatar 20:37  |  Aphemia 13/04/08
      51.   To Yosemite #42 20:51  |  AntiSheiks 13/04/08
      52.   Iranians are against Israel 21:04  |  Omid your wrong 13/04/08
      53.   El Birawi #48 21:14  |  Woderer41 13/04/08
      54.   Clickfool & co lose the plot!!! 21:18  |  The Judge 13/04/08
      55.   # 49 Cipora JK.....If you haven`t been to the 22:18  |  Lynn 13/04/08
      56.   # 35 Headache...who are you kidding? 22:24  |  Lynn 13/04/08
      57.   did someone tell livni no ones coming to meet her ? 22:29  |  victor hardman1 13/04/08
      58.   # 50 Aphemia ...a nice black tuxedo length 22:34  |  Lynn 13/04/08
      59.   AntiSheiks 22:43  |  Yosemite 13/04/08
      60.   Smadar...I`m impressed too 22:54  |  Lynn 13/04/08
      61.   Lynn 23:05  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      62.   Even if it`s a promo, It`s a Good Israreli move 23:07  |  Markus 13/04/08
      63.   The problem: the 2-state theory cant grant Jewish land to Muslims 23:09  |  Haldrik 13/04/08
      64.   pop 23:09  |  alan 13/04/08
      65.   Livni talks to Al Jazeera in Qatar but not in "democratic" Israel 23:11  |  Chalanau, Tova 13/04/08
      66.   Oh, I am devastated 23:12  |  Sarah 13/04/08
      67.   Wrong, Palestinian Brit 23:32  |  Sam 13/04/08
      68.   #56 Lynn 23:37  |  Headache 13/04/08
      69.   Well, Good Luck hoping a global intiative will come up 23:38  |  Simon Mohammed 13/04/08
      70.   #57, victor 23:41  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      71.