Likud: Livni Stressed As She’s About To Lose Elections

25/01/2009 | Al Manar

Ahead of American Mideast envoy George Mitchell arrival to region Wednesday, Kadima chairwoman Tsibi Livni said that a right-wing government in Israel will cause the Jewish state to be perceived – by Washington - as 'peace refuser'. The Foreign Minister also warned Saturday night of a rift with the United States if a right-wing government is elected.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party responded to Livni saying “This is a ridiculous spin...Livni’s stressed because she knows she's about to lose elections.”

As part of promoting herself in Kadima’s electoral campaigns in ‘closed door forums’ Livni said, "Mitchell's mission is a positive thing under a government which will continue the current diplomatic policy.

When Israel supports a solution of two states for two people, the pressure won't be on Israel. If we have a government headed by myself which will advance this policy, the pressure will be exerted on Iran and its satellite countries and we'll be able to recruit the US to our war on terror...If we have an extreme right-wing government, which will reject this principle, the pressure will be directed at Israel."

The Likud responded to the remarks by saying, "Livni is stressed because she knows she will be losing the elections in 16 days, so she's shooting at all directions and spreading a ridiculous spin, reflecting Livni and Kadima's great distress.

"Netanyahu knows the United States better than any other leader, will manage the relationship well and will know how to maintain the State of Israel's vital interests in the international arena."

Kadima is considering using in its campaign spots excerpts from a book by Dennis Ross, special Middle East coordinator under former president Bill Clinton and expected to work with the administration as a special peace envoy. One excerpt from the book, "The Missing Peace," describes Netanyahu as insufferable and states that that after Ross and Clinton met with him, the U.S. president felt Netanyahu thought he was the power, and that the Americans were there to do his bidding.

During his tour Wednesday, Mitchell is expected to have talks with the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.

Upon his appointment as Mideast envoy, Mitchell clarified that peace in the Middle East was a security-related interest of the US and that there was no such thing as an unsolvable conflict.

ISRAELI SETTLERS NOT HAPPY WITH MITCHELL

The head of Israel’s settlements council Danny Dayan said Mitchell's appointment was "very disturbing".

"Soon we will need to get Obama's request to have children," Dayan said, alluding to Mitchell's previously voiced objection to allowing natural growth in West Bank settlements.

SAUDI ARABIA: ISRAEL CLOSE TO KILLING ‘PEACE’ PROSPECT

Meanwhile, a member of the Saudi royal family warned Obama on Friday the Middle East peace process and US-Saudi ties were at risk unless Washington changed tack on the Israeli-Palestinian question.

Israel had come close to "killing the prospect of peace" with its offensive in Gaza, Prince Turki al-Faisal wrote in an article published on the Financial Times' website.

"Unless the new US administration takes forceful steps to prevent any further suffering and slaughter of Palestinians, the peace process, the US-Saudi relationship and the stability of the region are at risk," said al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief and former ambassador to the United States and Britain.

The Bush administration had also contributed to the "slaughter of innocents" in Gaza, said the Saudi Prince.

"If the US wants to continue playing a leadership role in the Middle East and keep its strategic alliances intact -- especially its 'special relationship' with Saudi Arabia - it will have to drastically revise its policies vis-à-vis Israel and Palestine," he wrote.