Channels

Livni. 'Isolated incident becomes global drama'
Photo: Lior Mizrahi

Livni: Keep world from investigating IDF soldiers

Opposition chairperson slams prime minister's policy, says must have internal investigation: 'World hypocritical but we must still have policy.'

Livni slams government: The flotilla affair should be investigated, but Israel should not agree to an international investigation committee, Opposition Chairperson Tzipi Livni said to Ynet on Thursday.

 

"Since the incident, I have tried to explain Israel's policy, when it had a policy, because the soldiers deserve all the backup they can get," Livni said. "Now we must carry out an internal investigation which will leave the rest of the world outside the gates."

 

"I heard the prime minister yesterday, but I didn't hear any policy in the speech," she continued. "The world is certainly hypocritical, but that doesn't absolve us from forming a policy. This is more than an isolated incident. Anything that happened when Israel had a different standing in world opinion would have had a different result. Now, any isolated incident becomes a global drama, and it's becoming worse. We are reaching the stage when Israel's ability to defend itself will no longer exist."

 

"Gaza has been closed off for four years, and Israel applies this policy with international backing," she added. "The world said that Hamas should not be recognized as long as it doesn't recognize Israel and accept the agreements (that have been made in the past). The world insisted on this and accepted this policy, because it was clear that Israel wanted an agreement with pragmatic forces, with the legitimate Palestinian government."

 

And that's all gone now?

 

"It's all disappeared. It isn't part of the discourse. The prime minister, in all his speeches, hasn't referred to it. We can't talk just about security without a policy for both sides of the equation. His speech made me understand that he sees things through a very narrow prism. The whole world was with us, and not only in principle. Until just a short time ago, Hamas was not given any legitimacy, while Israel was considered legitimate."

 

Do you support the creation of an investigation committee?

 

"The whole world is busy seeing who'll set up the most committees. Today the government has a mission: To leave the world outside the gates, and the IDF outside the international investigation. I don't want to see the world investigating IDF soldiers."

 

"The aim, which I presented to the defense minister on Monday, is to set up – with the US – an internal investigation committee that will leave the international investigations outside. That's what the prime minister must do. I hope it's not too late, and that the prime minister will act quickly."

 

"There needs to be a committee which will ensure the world stays outside," the opposition chairperson said. "Israel can investigate itself, and this will satisfy the world. Otherwise, we'll see the world demanding that international committees be set up."

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.03.10, 14:10
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment