U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has received a warm welcome from the Israeli President Shimon Peres, who kissed her and gave her a bouquet of roses. Clinton was very happy and laughed before the cameras. The warm reception came after Clinton's tough statements in Sharm el-Sheikh against Hamas. At the end of her meeting with Peres, Clinton confirmed the American firm and continuous support for Israel and its security.
After her visit to the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, Clinton said the museum is a "real power" in the face of "denial". It also represents the power of human resistance against despair and the triumph of the Jewish people against murder and destruction.
During a press conference with her Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni, Clinton announced that the declaration of a Palestinian State "serves the Israeli interests". She added that the first step towards peace is a "permanent cease-fire" in the Gaza Strip. She called for taking this step without waiting for the formation of a new government in Israel.
Livni warned yesterday that Israel is ready to attack Hamas again in the Gaza Strip if it did not stop firing rockets. Speaking to the Israeli radio, Livni said if Hamas did not understand the message, it will be attacked again, in reference to the massive military offensive launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip last December.
