Even though she received a plurality of votes in last week’s election, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni asserted to associates her desire to lead the opposition as opposed to joining Likud-led right wing coalition. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert urged Livni to oppose Benjamin Netanyahu claiming that a failed Likud-government would propel Kadima back into the PMO.
With President Obama intent on initiating negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, Israeli officials are preparing a position paper for the administration, urging expedited talks followed by immediate sanctions.
The United States will attend planning sessions over the next three days for the next Durban anti-racism conference. Israel opposes the event due to organizers’ assertions that Israel is an apartheid state. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell refused to attend the actual event 2001 but the State Department will establish its participation following the planning sessions. A State Department release states:
“This will be the first opportunity the Administration has had to engage in the negotiations for the Durban Review, and – in line with our commitment to diplomacy – the U.S. has decided to send a delegation to engage in the negotiations on the text of the conference document.
The intent of our participation is to work to try to change the direction in which the Review Conference is heading. We hope to work with other countries that want the Conference to responsibly and productively address racism around the world.
Our participation in these informal negotiations does not indicate – and should not be misconstrued to indicate – that the United States will participate in April in the World Conference Against Racism itself. Nor does it indicate that we will necessarily participate in future preparations for the Conference. These decisions will be taken at a later date, depending on the results that we see from the negotiating process.”
In the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinian government employees went on strike today over unpaid salaries. The Employee Union anticipates the receipt of payments by next Tuesday, at the latest.
