Israel Matzav

Hypocrisy, thy name is Tzippi Livni

I'm sure you will all be shocked to hear that opposition leader Tzipi Livni slammed the Netanyahu government for making the same terrorists for Gilad deal that the Olmert-Barak-Livni government tried and failed to make for Gilad Shalit.

At the request of Gilad Schalit's father Noam, Livni kept silent about the deal until Sunday morning when she slammed it in interviews. Livni said the exchange legitimized Hamas while undermining Israel's strategic deterrence.

"The people of Israel forced the government to free Gilad Schalit," Livni told Yediot Aharonot. "What matters is that Israel today is weaker and Hamas much stronger, and no one can dispute that."

Well, yeah, that's true, but if it's true, why did she try to make the same deal?

Livni called upon the government to release prisoners from Fatah in the second stage of the deal in order to strengthen Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas. She explained her silence until now by saying that she did not want to turn Schalit's fate into a political issue.

Why does she think that Hamas would do the deal if the terrorists released were overwhelmingly Fatah? The only reason there were any Fatah terrorists in the deal was that it was politically expedient for Hamas to do so.

Meanwhile, the government slammed her back.

"She apparently forgot that she was a senior minister when Schalit was taken captive and she also forgot that she failed to bring him home," a Likud spokeswoman said. "Livni doesn't know what responsibility is and she is acting out of political considerations that even members of her own party don't accept. Livni woke up too late as usual and it's a pity that she ended her silence." Kadima MKs issues similar criticism of Livni in closed conversations. Labor leader Shelly Yacimovich said she was surprised by Livni expressing opposition after the fact and she accused her of keeping silent to avoid losing support.

"True leadership is tested in real time even on matters that are not popular," Yacimovich said.

Indeed. Kadima - and Israel's biggest opportunist - should be gone next election. And not a moment too soon.

Labels: Kadima, terrorists for Gilad trade, Tzipi Livni

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:28 PM