'Livni's remarks big insult to Arabs'

Lebanon's top cleric has sharply criticized Livni's visit to Qatar, calling her trip and remarks a big insult to all Arabs and Muslims.

On Tuesday, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah issued a statement, saying Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni's comments about Hamas and Hezbollah reflect Israel's brazenness and arrogance.

Such trips are designed to drive a wedge between Arab countries willing to make peace with the Zionist regime, and those who are not, the statement said.

"The visits...are not only meant to normalize (Israel's ties with Arab countries)...but are also designed to pave the way for an Arab-Israeli alliance against other Arabs and Muslims who refuse to let the usurper entity (Israel) liquidate the Palestinian people," Fadlallah was quoted as saying.

Livni's two-day visit to Doha was her first to any Persian Gulf state. Qatar has no diplomatic ties with the Zionist regime, but the two maintain low-level trade relations.

Speaking at a democracy and trade forum Monday, Livni said the Zionist regime and Arab states are mired in the same struggle with extremists like Hezbollah and Hamas.

"We, the moderates of the region, are all members of the same camp," Livni said.

Fadlallah, 72, is the top religious authority for Lebanon's Shias and has followers across the Middle East. He is a strong supporter of Hamas and other Palestinian factions that fight against Israeli occupation.