Livni: Palestinian state - solution for Israeli Arabs as well

Speaking at press conference following meeting with French Foreign Minister Kouchner, Livni says establishment of Palestinian state should bring end to demands of Palestinians everywhere
Neta Sela

The future Palestinian state would serve as a national solution for the Palestinians of the West Bank, those living in the refugee camps and those who are citizens with equal rights in the Jewish state, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni stated Sunday.

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Speaking at a press conference following her meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Livni responded to statements made by the Arab Monitoring Committee Saturday, urging the Palestinians not to recognize Israel as Jewish state.

"Those supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state as a national solution to the Palestinians cannot have it both ways – to demand the establishment of such a state, and at the same time act from within against the existence of the Jewish nation state," she declared.

According to Livni, "Israel is a Jewish and democratic state, and every person elected to the Knesset must accept the basic principles upon which the State of Israel was founded." The demand for an independent state, the foreign minister stressed, should be fulfilled by the establishment of a Palestinian state.

During the press conference, Livni also referred to the Iranian issue, and said that the international community should act swiftly to expand the UN sanctions against Tehran.

Foreign Minister Kouchner stated that his country was aware of the threats Iran's nuclear program posed to the world. He added that while Iran had the right to develop nuclear power for civilian purposes, French could not accept any progress towards obtaining an atomic bomb.