Israel Matzav

Channel 2 interview with Tzipi Livni

Channel 2 interviewed opposition leader and former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Wednesday night. You can watch the entire interview in Hebrew here (sorry, I couldn't embed it).

The first question she was asked was about 'transferring' Arab villages to the 'Palestinian Authority,' and Livni brushed off comparisons between her views and those of Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party (which has advocated transferring the Israeli Arab villages in the 'Triangle' region to the 'Palestinians' in exchange for Israel being allowed to keep the Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria).

Livni told Channel 2 that it was cynical to compare her to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman just because Al-Jazeera revealed that in her talks with Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurei she had offered to swap four Arab border towns for West Bank settlements.

Livni said that if Yisrael Beiteinu wants to be like her, they should adopt her entire program. Good luck with that.

The second question is about leaving Jews to live in the 'Palestinian Authority' and this one was translated by Aaron Lerner.

MK Tzipi Livni: The idea that some [settlers] will remain by the grace of
the Palestinian state and Palestinian security appears to me to be very problematic.

Channel 2 reporter Udi Segal: If you think that the Palestinian state that will be established will murder Israeli citizens who remain there – that we are going to make a peace arrangement with these murderers? Either there will be peace or there will be a band of murderers.

Livni: I never sold peace in the sense of “new Middle East”[AL: a phrase coined by Shimon Peres]. We live in a harsh neighborhood. The “new Middle east” isn’t going to plop down on us tomorrow and were aren’t going to be living in different surroundings.”

Livni's answer begs the question. If the 'Palestinians' are going to continue to try to murder us once there is 'peace,' what exactly are we gaining by making 'peace' with them? Isn't the whole point of making peace that you stop trying to kill each other?

Livni says that the Palileaks release proves that we can reach an arrangement with the 'Palestinians' but in light of the previous question, you have to ask again, why bother? Why take the risks?

She said the Palestine Papers proved that there was a partner that Israel could make a deal with while safeguarding its strategic interests. She said the reports gave people new hope, but she accused Netanyahu of quashing it.

Livni says that she doesn't accept Olmert's map that was given to the 'Palestinians.' She also accuses Ehud Barak of never contributing to reaching an arrangement with the 'Palestinians.'

Livni also complained about Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who she said “never contributed to advancing a diplomatic agreement, and helped the formation of a government that has a very small chance of reaching one, just in order to be defense minister.”

In response Barak blasted Livni as an 'amateur' who 'hid for months' the fact that the talks had failed.

Labels: Ehud Barak, Palileaks, Politics, Tzipi Livni, World Politics

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:39 AM