Opposition head in Israel, leader of the Kadima Party, Tzipi Livni, stated that Israeli Prime Minister, head of the Likud Party, Benjamin Netanyahu, is a danger to Israel as he wants to push it back to the 1948 border. In an interview with Israeli daily, Yedioth Aharonoth, Livni said that both Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, will lead Israel to become a bi-national state, and that their act are preventing the establishment of the “Jewish State”.
“I said that in many occasions, Barak and Netanyahu are a threat to the state”, she added, “I still believe so, but when the statements come from a person who left a security career to become a politician, the issue will have great impact on the Israelis”.
She also stated that Netanyahu is not doing anything to protect the security of Israel “while Iran and its supporters are increasingly becoming a more serious threat to the region and to Israel”.
Livni said that former Mossad Chief, Meir Dagan, “did not reveal a secret when he spoke of the Irainian threat”, and that his statements came “after he realized the danger Israel is facing as he gained this knowledge through his work with Netanyahu and Barak”.
She added that when she says that Netanyahu and Barak are a threat to Israel, she means that “it became clear that were are in a path where changes are surrounding us, as Israel is isolated, and this isolation harms its security”.
“Netanyahu is doing nothing to change the situation, Israel is now in its worst position since its establishment in 1948”, Livni added, “When Netanyahu says the struggle is not on the 1967 border but on the 1948 border, he is indeed the one who is leading us there”.
The opposition leader further stated that the policies Barak and Netanyahu are policies of failure, and that “the dream of establishing a Jewish State is in danger, while Netanyahu is not doing anything to save it”.
She said that Netanyahu must engage in peace talks with the Palestinians, and must start these talks very soon. “If he does, I promise to support him politically”, Livni said, “He is afraid to lose his right-wing coalition partners, and wants to please them”.
Livni also stated that Netanyahu lies to the people when he says the United States and President Obama, want Israel to withdraw to the 1967 border.
“Neither Obama, nor Hilary Clinton, want us to withdraw to the 1967 border”, she said, “Nobody is demanding us to do so, not even the Palestinians”. Her statements were hinting the probability of a land swap deal with the Palestinians so that Israel can keep its settlements in the occupied territories.
She demanded Netanyahu to declare that he wants to hold peace talks with parties that accept the conditions of the Quartet Committee that calls for recognizing Israel and signed peace agreements, and renouncing violence.
Livni concluded by stating that the current situation in Israel can be ended, and that Israel can exit its state of isolation by holding early general elections.
The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) recognized Israel before signing the first Oslo agreement in 1993, but Israel has never made any official statement recognizing the Palestinian right to a sovereign state and still refuses to recognize all related Security Council and United Nations resolutions calling for the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees and Israel’s full withdrawal from Arab and Palestinian territories, including occupied East Jerusalem.
