Tzipi Livni Rules Out Hamas Talks

JERUSALEM, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Monday stressed that she sees no reason or need to negotiate with Hamas, saying that the group's words were "meaningless."

"I am not going to negotiate with Hamas and don't need them to sign anything for me. What they said is meaningless," Israel's Army Radio quoted her as saying as her government was negotiating with Egypt for an end to the 17-day-old onslaught in Gaza Strip.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[MaximMaximus]

As a mother of two kids, how does Ms. Livni feel about the way Plestinians kids are forced to live under the Israeli stranglehold. I doubt she even bothers caring. For as long as Israel treats the Palestinians as Untermensch, they will lose.

[Libarchist]

Excellent news.

[batguano]

Please read these words, many by Jews/Israelis who do not share the Israeli party-line of deceit and racism. These will give a different view of this "conflict" other than we are fed by our co-opted press and sycophant elected/appointed reps; they are for the most part a great disgrace to support this slaughter of innocents by Israel using our supplied weapons!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-weiss/rethinking-zionism_b_156955.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-schweber/israel-in-gaza-three-wron_b_156801.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/why-arent-more-americans_b_155194.html

http://www.progressive.org/mag/avnery010209.html

http://www.icahd.org/eng/news.asp?menu=5&submenu=1&item=646

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/07/AR2009010702645.html

[batguano]

Israel rules out human rights
Israel rules out dialogue as a way to achieve peace
israel rules out en end to the conflict and occupation
Israel rules out stopping the Apartheid Wall
Israel rules out UN resolutions
Israel rules out a cease-fire
Israel rules out ending/banning their use of phosphorus weapons, cluster munitions or possible use of nuclear weapons or DP weapons.

When one googles "Israel rules out" 148 million hits appear, likewise the words Israel rejects" bring 88 million hits. It doesn't take too long to figure out who has stood in the way of a just peace.

[Donatella]

You can't talk with terrorists. We must continue this War on Terrorism. Sound familiar? Livni doesn't have enough blood on her hands yet to get elected. Another few hundred Palestinian deaths and she is sure to win over Netanyahu.

[MaximMaximus]

His parents might have enough blood in their hands. Both were active Irgun members.

[BBackSoon]

I am all for Israel protecting itself but from my far away point of view it always seems that they are using a sledge hammer to kill a fly.

At some point a strong guy beating up the little guy that keeps coming back for more, begins to look like a bully.

[druidlady42]

Livni is not the only one to blame. This conflagration can also be laid at the feet of GWB, whose tacit approval of this attack at this particular time makes him just as culpable! Without U.S. consent and our huge weaponry support, Israel would not have launched this atrocity! Notice that the Bush administration has done little to nothing to reign in the Israelis, just as in Lebanon! Even at this moment, more weapons from the U.S. are being shipped to Israel via Greece. Our hands (U.S.) are just as bloody!

[rosiebond007]

Israel do not want to talk because they want to obliterate the Palestinians entirely and steal the land.
It's what they have always wanted - they have just used the excuse of Bush leaving and their elections to precipitate this Haulocaust upon their neighbors. (The Vatican was correct).

Yep - lying, cheating and stealing is their forte - why stop now ?

Livni and her crew are a total disgrace - not evolved enough to pursue dialog and achieve lasting peace - pathetic.

[majormoderate]

So you're saying they have the same objectives as Hamas? Hamas wants to obliterate israel and wipe it from the map...

[Hedonist]

Your comments are ignorant beyond belief. Do you think Hamas is willing to negotiate? Absolutely not. Try learning to spell Holocaust before you assert opinions about subjects you know nothing about.

[riverhouse]

Israel broke the truce. Israel has brutally occupied and oppressed the Palestinians for decades, stealing their land and committing genocide to further Zionists' dream of a "Greater Israel" which is a nice way of saying obliterate the Palestinians once and for all.

[mommamia526]

Of course, we all take into account others' sensitivities, food preferences, and cultures, when we act as hosts. Hosts have responsibilities. But, so do guests. Muslims out of their own regions, such as in Gr. Britain, the rest of Europe, should act as the guests they are, and not throw down the table, shoot the host and other guests, make threats, or murder. If they do not like the culture, or the host, they should depart, post haste, and return home. The muslim behaviors, even against their own, is out of control. It is even out of control by muslim standards. In my opinion, the way to deal with this scourge, is to set the rules, which is national and international laws, rules and regulations, rules of warfare, clearly before anyone, and to expect that everyone adhere to those rules. Disputes about such rules should be handled in the courts. Proclaiming that *we have to understand*, and therefore allow, rioting hordes of wild outlaws, puts everyone's life and limb, not to speak of property, at risk, including that of the outlaws themselves. These people are out of control, and need to be put in their place and kept there. Let us declare TIME OUT for terrorist attackers and murderers. It should be made clear, that these actions on the high seas, in Darfur, in the ME, and elsewhere must stop NOW. Until that is done and everyone agrees, nothing will change until we are all dead.

[mommamia526]

Just this weekend I saw a report that in Germany Turks are rioting in the streets on behalf of Hamas, and taking down Israeli flags. No, it goes further. Someone reported being out in the street and seeing across the street that inside their apartment, on the second or third floor, German police were taking down an Israeli flag which was visible in the window. Why? Fear of the muslim mobs in the streets! Several weeks ago there was a report in The Netherlands that specific measures were to be taken. Why? Threats had been uttered by muslims that they would attack!! Reason, a.o. a movie which had been made more than a year ago, and possibly another movie, or one in the making. Movies, displaying flags, do not hurt anyone. That is freedom of speech. One may agree, or disagree, but rioting, attacking, even murder and threats? Those are not acceptable responses. Hanan Ashrawi was seen this weekend on the tube (CNN) spouting that we have to understand the *Palestinian Culture*. *Palestinian Culture (Arab culture) is appropriate for Arabs. It is not appropriate for Europeans, Americans, or Israelis. We all have our own cultures, and do not have to submit to another's culture. We should also respect others' cultures, in their own regions, and Arabs (muslims) should be expected to extend that respect as well, whenever they are out of their own regions.

[Jezreel]

"We should also respect others' cultures, in their own regions, and Arabs (muslims) should be expected to extend that respect as well, whenever they are out of their own regions."

Does that rule apply to Israel too? Or is it only applicable to those who refuse to be oppressed, murdered, and occupied by them?

[mommamia526]

Here is an idea for the UN: Next time anyone attacks civilians, such as in Darfur, speak out immediately. Each time Hamas lobs kassams into Israel, speak up! After all, all these actions are directed against civilians. Innocent civilians. That, by the way, also applied to 9/11 in the U.S. The UN is running behind on their schedules, and is a pack of johny come latelys. Therefore, they are to blame for innocent civilian casualties. There is today a video on the www.israelnn.com website. Take a look. Hamas, as well as some African terrorists, use and train children for combat. We have all known of that for decades. IF the UN had spoken out at the first kassam lobbed by Hamas into Israel, or even later, this action would never have taken place. Here is another idea: We can not just speak out and lament each time actions and counteractions escalate. Whatever reasons anyone gives for constant terrorism, those reasons are not acceptable. There are legal ways to pursue grievances. It is the UN that had declared Israel an independent state decades ago. It is Hamas which will not accept that UN decision. Even now, all they have to do is cease their kassam attacks and come out with the white flag.

[Donatella]

Yes and speak out when the occupier is blockading all entrances and not allowing humanitarian supplies like food, water and medicine in. According to the UN the majority of children are malnurished. Blame the occupier, the racist occupier that has for 40 years had a policy of ethnic cleansing.

[riverhouse]

Actually, those crude rockets are not being lobbed into Israel. That area is Palestinian land which has been confiscated for Zionist settlements.

[naturallight]

Is she the Zionist version of Sarah Palin or is it just me?

Naomi Klein says boycott Isreal

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090126/klein?rel=hp_currently

[riverhouse]

I boycott Israel.

[Wonderwheel]

The Israeli government is callous and cruel. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is a disgrace to humanity. Israel's holocaust on the Palestinians is a self-fullfilling prophecy that they do not deserve to be recognized as a state since they are acting like Idi Amin or any other oppressor state. Israel has forfeited its right to exist and may only redeem its existence by a radical change in course and dealing with Hamas and the Palestinians as people and not with the dehumanizing label "terrorists" by which Israel says any atrocity against Palestinians is acceptable.

Gaza should declare its independence -- today -- and set a date for a constitutional convention and ask the world's nations to recognize Gaza as an independent nation and send envoys. Gaza should also ask for UN protection as a sovereign state being attacked by its neighbor.

I said this a year ago in my blog: "Letter to Hamas and the Valiant People of Gaza" ,
http://wonderwheels.blogspot.com/2008/01/letter-to-hamas-and-valiant-people-of.html

Nothing has changed in the intervening year except to prove me right, so I am saying it again in my blog:, "The Three-state Solution is the Way to Get Out."
http://wonderwheels.blogspot.com/2009/01/three-state-solution-is-way-to-get-out.html.

[sonoffestus]

Right, why talk when we can exterminate them.

[motoGpifupleez]

If you're not willing to talk, then you must enjoy what you're doing.