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Photo: Motti Kimchi
Lapid and Livni, a new partnership
Photo: Motti Kimchi

Livni, Lapid to join forces to advance revival of peace talks with Palestinians

Hatnua and Yesh Atid to form 25-MK bloc on diplomatic front, as well as matters of religion and state, in which they will also be joined by Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu.

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Finance Minister Yair Lapid will join forces to form a united diplomatic front to advance the peace process with the Palestinians, Livni told Yedioth Ahronot.

 

 

"I recently had talks with Yair Lapid," she said, "he is of the same mind as me in what I'm saying here."

 

"In the Knesset session starting next week we will form one front in the government and at the Knesset on the diplomatic issue. One bloc, 25 mandates, together in favor of a diplomatic arrangement, together against the Danny Danonism and against the extreme nationalism," Livni continued.

 

Joining forces. Livni and Lapid (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum, Gil Yohanan) (Photo: Eli Mandelbaum, Gil Yohanan)
Joining forces. Livni and Lapid (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum, Gil Yohanan)

 

The justice minister went on to say her party, Hatnua, and Lapid's party Yes Atid, will also join forces on matters of religion and state.

 

Lapid confirmed Livni's statements, saying "we're in very close cooperation on both issues. On religion, we're also working with (Foreign Minister Avigdor) Lieberman."

 

Lapid said he told Livni that while he did not agree with all of her positions on the diplomatic issue, "we have to be united and more coordinated."

 

The two parties agreed to act as one in all matters concerning the diplomatic issue - one faction of 25 MKs (19 from Yesh Atid, 6 from Hatnua) inside a coalition of 68 MKs.

 

Livni has a grudge towards the Bayit Yehudi and its leader Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, "on all topics concerning religion and state, the Bayit Yehudi is more extreme than the Haredim," she said.

 

The cooperation between Lapid and Livni came to be after MKs from both parties demanded their faction leaders to advance a meaningful diplomatic move.

 

Yesh Atid faction chairman Ofer Shelah and Hatnua MKs Amir Peretz and Amram Mitzna hinted they will push to quit the government if their factions are unsuccessful in bringing to the renewal of peace talks with the Palestinians during the Knesset's winter session.

 

Labor leader and Opposition Chairman Isaac Herzog slammed the new alliance between Lapid and Livni.

 

"The Livni-Lapid alliance, like all other alliances we're seen in this coalition, was meant to give artificial CPR to a nonfunctional government," Herzog said. "This government is not functioning on economic-social issues or on diplomatic issues, instead it's busy playing survival games and nothing else."

 

"We have to ask ourselves whether these alliances brought the cost of living down, or the cost of housing? Did they do anything to advance the diplomatic process? Did they improve the lives of the citizens of Israel? In all cases the answer is no," he went on to say.

 

"It's time to make it clear to the prime minister and his ministers: This is not a reality show, this is a reality. In reality, you have to show results."

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.22.14, 08:47
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