(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman)

Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni spoke on Saturday evening (1 March) with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union Javier Solana, and the Foreign Minister representing the current Presidency of the European Union, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dmitrij Rupel. In the conversations, she explained Israel’s position to them regarding the responsibility incumbent upon Israel to protect its citizens from Palestinian terror.

In addition, FM Livni clarified that the reported suspension of the peace negotiations by the Palestinian Authority will not affect the decisions and actions Israel feels that it must implement in Gaza and other areas in order to protect its citizens - this, in keeping with the terms between Israel and the pragmatic elements of the Palestinian Authority which formed the initial basis for the current dialogue between the sides, and were supported by the international community.