Koizumi heads to ME in throes of crisis
Afp, Tokyo
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi heads to the Middle East this week to try to help calm the worst crisis in the region in months and urge Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to negotiations. Koizumi is scheduled to arrive in Tel Aviv Tuesday afternoon and meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday in Jerusalem before moving to Ramallah for talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. During his meeting with Abbas, Koizumi plans to announce a fresh package of humanitarian assistance for the Palestinians, officials said. Tokyo insists it will not be used to finance the Hamas administration, which won a massive election victory in January and formally advocates the destruction of the Jewish state. "Our humanitarian assistance to Palestinians has not changed, but we will not support Hamas," a source said.
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