JERUSALEM: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband meets with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni at start of his Middle East tour

Record ID: 562428

  • Title: JERUSALEM: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband meets with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni at start of his Middle East tour
  • Date: 17th November 2008
  • Summary: MINISTERS SHAKING HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER TZIPI LIVNI SAYING: "Welcome to Israel. These are difficult times in Israel since while we talking there are ongoing attacks from Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas, on our citizens, especially in Sderot. I heard that you are going to visit Sderot and I welcome you on this. But we expect the international community to support the Israeli position on this. Israel can not just sit watching our citizens under attacks." (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER DAVID MILIBAND SAYING: "I'm looking forward to a full briefing about the grave situation that your citizens face in Sderot this evening. And tomorrow I very much look forward to be showing my solidarity with them on my visit there. The insecurity they face is obviously something that I was briefed about by the mayor of Sderot, when he came to London, and I think it's very important that I'm there." LEADERS LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 2nd December 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA5HFYMX4YM59AV1NOLBH70MWO9
  • Story Text: British Foreign Minister David Miliband holds meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, calls for calm to be restored between Hamas and the Israeli army.
    British Foreign Minister David Miliband met counterpart Tzipi Livni on Sunday (November 16) at the start of his Middle East trip to include Syria and Lebanon.
    After the talks held in the Foreign Ministry building in Jerusalem Livni said:
    "These are difficult times in Israel since while we talking there are ongoing attacks from Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas, on our citizens, especially in Sderot....We expect the international community to support the Israeli position on this. Israel can not just sit watching our citizens under attacks," she told reporters at a joint news conference.
    Miliband then said he's looking forward to a full briefing about the grave situation in Sderot.

    "And tomorrow I very much look forward to be showing my solidarity with them on my visit there," he added.
    Earlier on Sunday, Miliband held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem.
    Before leaving London, British FM told reporters his visit was an opportunity to sound out Israeli politicians ahead of the February polls for early elections.
    Miliband's visit comes amid European pressure on Israel to allow the resumption of food and EU-funded fuel deliveries to the Gaza Strip, which has been blockaded by the Jewish state since November 4 in response to rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.
    Miliband is scheduled to meet Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak on Monday (November 17) before travelling to the West Bank city of Ramallah where he will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
    He will then travel to Lebanon and Syria.
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