A joint statement released by Labor and Hatnua Saturday stated that” Livni [consistently] opposed any attempt by the Palestinians to impose a new reality on Israel by taking unilateral steps. This was her consistent approach, in public, and in private to the Americans, and this is her stance today.” The announcement came hours after Foreign Policy reported that US Secretary of State John Kerry told his European counterparts to hold off on the Palestinian UN bid at the recommendation of Livni and former president Shimon Peres, who told him international pressure on Israel would only play into the hands of the right-wing camp led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Saturday, Livni and Herzog were largely taking credit for the fact that the US has been blocking any sort of progress in bringing the Palestinian bid urging recognition and an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines to a vote. Labor leader Isaac Herzog and Hatnua leader Tzipi Livni announce the merger of their parties at a press conference in Tel Aviv on December 10, 2014. They said they would rotate the prime ministership if they win elections next March. (Photo credit: FLASH90) Labor leader Isaac Herzog and Hatnua leader Tzipi Livni announce the merger of their parties at a press conference in Tel Aviv on December 10, 2014. They said they would rotate the prime ministership if they win elections next March. (Photo credit: FLASH90) “Livni is proud to have preserved key Israeli interests at the Security Council. Israel’s security interests can be safeguarded with the right policy, which can only come to pass if Herzog and Livni form the next government coalition,” read the statement. Earlier, Foreign Policy reported that at a recent annual luncheon with the 28 European Union ambassadors, Kerry said that a UN vote before Israeli elections would only benefit those who oppose the peace process, like Netanyahu and Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett. Kerry also intimated during the gathering that the US may support a Security Council resolution if the wording were appropriate, but he did not elaborate. Kerry said the US would not allow the resolution to come to a vote before the Israeli elections, set for March 17, according to the report. “Kerry has been very, very clear that for the United States it was not an option to discuss whatever text before the end of the Israeli election,” a European diplomat told Foreign Policy. The diplomat also said that Kerry spoke about a warning issued to him by Livni and Peres that a favorable UN vote “imposed by the international community would reinforce Benjamin Netanyahu and the hardliners in Israel.”
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 12:55:03 +0000
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