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Israel to Arabs: "We Extend Our Hand in Friendship"
[Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs] Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told a meeting of Arab leaders at the Doha Forum in Qatar on Monday: "The continued dialogue between Israel and Qatar is a living testimony to the importance attached by both sides to this ongoing relationship, which serves the interests, not only of both sides, but of the entire region. We hope that other Arab states will follow the example of Qatar, as a means for promoting co-existence, understanding and peace in the entire region....To the Arab states of our region, some represented in this conference, we extend our hand in friendship." "It is quite clear now that Israel poses no threat to the stability and the peace of the region. It is equally clear now that the threat comes from the radicals, who refuse to recognize our democratic rights....We must cast aside the outdated perception that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the cause for the extremists, and understand that our ability to come to terms depends on the extremists' capability to prevent it."