Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told U.S. Middle East envoy George C. Mitchell on Thursday afternoon that moderate forces in the region must be strengthened, not terrorists.
“Israel believes in providing humanitarian assistance,” Livni told Mitchell. “However, it should be done in a way that won’t strengthen Hamas,” she said.
Livni met with Mitchell at her office in Tel Aviv following his arrival from Turkey, where he met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
After speaking with Erdogan on Wednesday, Mitchell said, “As an important democratic nation with strong relations with Israel, [Turkey] has a unique role to play and can have significant influence on our efforts to promote comprehensive peace in the Middle East."
Turkey has mediated backdoor talks between Israel and Syria, which do not have diplomatic ties.
Tensions rose between Turkey and Israel, which formerly enjoyed close relations, during the counterterrorist Operation Cast Lead in Gaza last month. Erdogan in particular made a number of virulent remarks about the operation, at one point even accusing Israel of committing “war crimes” in Gaza.
During a panel discussion last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Erdogan walked out after President Shimon Peres pointed out that Turkey would have responded if rockets had hit Istanbul. “Do you understand the meaning of a situation where hundreds of rockets are falling on women and children who cannot sleep quietly, who need to sleep in shelters? You don’t understand, and I am not prepared for lies,” he told Erdogan, to the applause of the audience.
Mitchell is also expected to meet with Likud party chairman and Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu, as well as outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. On Friday he will travel to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and other officials.
He is expected to return to Jerusalem with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton next week.