Livni, with de Gucht
צילום: עופר עמרם
Israel to boycott Hamas-friendly diplomats
Israel will not meet with international officials who hold talks with Hamas ministers, says Foreign Minister Livni
Israel will boycott international officials who choose to meet with Hamas ministers, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Thursday, after a meeting with Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht.
"Israel expects the international community not to recognize the Palestinian unity government as long as they don't accept the Quartet preconditions and certainly not to meet with Hamas ministers," Livni told Ynet.
"There is a preexisting government policy decreeing that international officials who come to the region to meet with Hamas members will not meet with Israeli officials," she said.
"In contrast to the international community, which distinguishes between moderates and extremists within the Palestinian government, Israel views it as a whole entity and objects to recognition of this entity," Livni added.
Prior to the meeting with de Gucht, Livni stated that Israel was "satisfied with the Quartet decision, which reiterated that it would not recognize a Palestinian unity government that did not adhere to Quartet conditions – recognition of Israel, renunciation of terror and acceptance of previous agreements, including the Road Map."
De Gucht and Livni discussed the new situation in the Middle East created by the Palestinian unity government, as well as the current situations in Iran and Lebanon. Belgian troops are part of the international force in Lebanon.
