Former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume negotiations with the Palestinian Authority immediately, “even before” US President Donald Trump announces his peace plan known as the Deal of the Century.
She noted that the current stalemate was due to lack of trust, adding that it was possible to prove goodwill and restore trust by easing the burden on the Palestinians and launching major economic projects.
Livni’s remarks came during her address to a group of leaders of AIPAC, currently visiting Tel Aviv. She stressed that it was possible to resume negotiations with the Palestinians immediately.
The former foreign minister hinted at the need to take a firm and pressing position in Washington to convince the Israeli government, saying that the US president must know that any step he makes toward a two-state solution will be a blessing, even if the far right in Israel or the United States did not like it. She emphasized that the two-state solution was in the highest interest of Israel.
There is a real possibility of resuming negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, through positive dialogue and Israeli steps that would improve the Palestinian economy and alleviate the suffering of Palestinian citizens in the West Bank, said Livni.
She urged Trump to take into consideration “the true national interest” of Israel and “to establish peace on the basis of a two-state solution.”
The Israeli official went on to say that the Middle East was no longer divided between Jews and Arabs, but between moderates and extremists. She underlined that Israel assume a strong and influential role among the moderates, seeking their victory over terrorism and violence.
