Livni attacks Uri Ariel: "The Jewish Home is a permanent damage in the government""

April 6, 2014   

After a week of turmoil in the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni appeared on the program 'Meet the Press' on News 2 and addressed the issue. "There was a blatant violation by the Palestinians, there needs to be a correction to what happened last week." At the same time, in her opinion, "everything must be done to continue the talks." When asked whether she still sees Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as a partner for peace, even after the Palestinians' unilateral actions - including appealing to international institutions - contrary to agreements with them, Livni replied: "Mahmoud Abbas will have to prove that he is a partner." "We are in a crisis, it has been a bad week and we will have to see how to fix it." She said, "This is a real crisis, not simple and very complicated. The question is not who is to blame. I know what happened factually: the signing was a violation and a big mistake that will make it difficult for us to return to normal." Livni added: "We were after days of strenuous efforts to close a deal that would allow progress. The Palestinians knew this, it was clear that it would not be possible to release that group of terrorists, without another package that included a series of things that would allow us to reach the government and approve it." Livni prepared the ground for a possible American withdrawal from the peace process, claiming: "We need less American mediation and more direct meetings with the Palestinians - including between Netanyahu and Abbas." Regarding the political meeting in Jerusalem last Thursday, Livni said: "It was a very difficult meeting, I came with a very sharp statement about the act they did. They heard what it does to the peace process for us." At the same time, she refused to comment on any future meetings. Palestinian media reports that a meeting is expected today between her and Saeb Erekat and Martin Indyk. "The step they took is blatantly violating, and they know it," she reiterated. Later, Livni accused coalition officials of torpedoing the talks with the Palestinians. "Bennett is just waiting for an opportunity to prevent us from reaching an agreement, so allow me not to rejoice in their joy," she said, and accused Housing Minister Uri Ariel of releasing publications about construction at Gila's age: "He tried to torpedo what I am doing together with the Prime Minister, the result is that the whole world claims that we are guilty, even when we acted appropriately. This is the price of the presence of the Jewish Home. They are a permanent damage to the government." On Saturday night, Housing Minister Ariel responded to Livni's words: "I suggest that Sarah Livni adhere to the advice of the sages, 'A proviso to wisdom is silence.' The butter is spread on the head of Minister Livni, who received endless credit for making peace, including the release of vile murderers. She failed miserably and is now looking for someone to blame but herself. And her cries about the construction in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria are nothing more than crocodile tears from those who knew about them in advance, as well as the Palestinians and the Americans." As for the mediator, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Livni said: "He is unbelievable, he invests without limit. It is good that the Americans are in the picture, and are involved, because both sides are not only concerned with what is right for them.".