Livni and Ban
Photo: AFP
Livni: We'll continue to push for peace deal by year's end
In first public appearance after PM Olmert's announcement that he will step down after Kadima primaries, foreign minister says she has been striving to reach agreement with Palestinians this year and will continue to do so, calls on all parties to unit behind agenda of Israeli security and peace process
WASHINGTON – Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
said Thursday that she will continue to push for a peace deal with the Palestinians this year, despite the uncertainty of the domestic political situation.
I am here as the foreign minister of the Israeli government and I can assure you that I plan to represent the State of Israel's interests in the future as well, Livni said.
In her first public appearance since Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced that he would step down after the Kadima primaries, the party premiership candidate said she had been striving to reach an agreement with the Palestinians this year. "We continue to do so," she said.
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Speaking to reporters after meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York, the foreign minister said that the internal political procedures in Israel did not change the security problems or the need to work for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit's return.
All candidates are committed to the same interests of the State of Israel, she said.
"Moreover," she added, "I believe that the internal division we are used to, and the thought that there are extreme differences in agendas and ideologies between the various parties, is an issue of the past and is no longer true.
"There is a common agenda which can be represented by any party, both in terms of the diplomatic issues and in terms of the ability to deal with the threats."
The foreign minister also conveyed a message to all Israeli parties, in an attempt to create an atmosphere of stability and prevent the need for general elections. She said all parties should unite behind the agenda of Israeli security and the peace process.
"I will continue to call any party that can be a partner to this agenda to put aside all these internal calculations and create unity inwards and outwards," she said, adding that all parties' main goal was "to restore the public's trust in Israeli politics."
In her meeting with the UN chief, Livni and Ban discussed the Iranian threat, Hizbullah's activity in Lebanon and Hamas' activity in Gaza, as well as the efforts to secure Shalit's release.
Reuters and AP contributed to this report
