Israel, New Palestinian Gov't Open Contacts

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni spoke on Wednesday to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni spoke on Wednesday to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, in the first publicly disclosed contacts between the two sides since Fayyad's emergency government was formed.

An Israeli Foreign Ministry statement said Livni told Fayyad that establishment of the emergency government, replacing one headed by Hamas, would allow "progress on various issues ... as well as advance the political process".