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Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni (Reuters)
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Last update - 00:00 25/10/2007
Livni behind closed doors: Iran nukes pose little threat to Israel
By Gidi Weitz and Na'ama Lanski, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Israel, nuclear, Iran 
 

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said a few months ago in a series of closed discussions that in her opinion that Iranian nuclear weapons do not pose an existential threat to Israel, Haaretz magazine reveals in an article on Livni to be published Friday.

Livni also criticized the exaggerated use that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is making of the issue of the Iranian bomb, claiming that he is attempting to rally the public around him by playing on its most basic fears. Last week, former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy said similar things about Iran.

The article also reveals for the first time a document Livni prepared and sent to Olmert a few months after the Second Lebanon War proposing a new division of labor between the two. "Enclosed is a proposal for work procedures between us, with the aim of providing an answer to Israel's strategic needs and facilitating early planning and the formulation of coordinated Israeli positions ... within the framework of cooperative
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elations, full transparency and continuous mutual updates," wrote Livni.

She described in the document a number of required arrangements: "The prime minister and the foreign minister will hold regular work meetings at least once a week." In an allusion to her absence form critical discussions during the war in Lebanon, she wrote: "The foreign minister will be invited to meetings with the prime minister on security matters and other meetings with serious implications."

The most important part of the document relates to the talks with the Palestinians. Livni wrote: "The foreign minister shall represent the prime minister and the government of Israel, and will act on their behalf as the director of the dialogue with the relevant Palestinian representatives, and in accordance with the policy and methods to be coordinated in advance with the prime minster, while keeping him informed."

It is reasonable to assume that Olmert's decision to appoint Livni as head of the negotiating team with the Palestinians at the Annapolis summit is connected to the document.

The Haaretz article also reveals for the first time a draft of a document prepared for Livni by her advisor, Dr. Tal Becker of the Foreign Ministry, who is slated to serve as a senior member of the negotiating team with the Palestinians. The draft, named the Diplomatic Horizon, is pessimistic about the chances of reaching a permanent solution in the near future.

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      1.   Nuclear bomb or nuclear capatibility ? 01:38  |  Manuel 25/10/07
      2.   Weren`t they supposed to work together since Sharon`s coma? 01:56  |  Boris Celser 25/10/07
      3.   It`s Not Iran, It`s Iran`s Stepchildren We Fear 02:26  |  dyinglikeflies 25/10/07
      4.   Livni is right 02:30  |  JJ 25/10/07
      5.   Last Week,It was a Major Threat/ World War3 02:57  |  MARK 25/10/07
      6.   Bush told us the Iran Nukes will bring WW3 03:00  |  MARK 25/10/07
      7.   Iran Nuke Threat-A Great Danger 03:26  |  Brod 25/10/07
      8.   No need to get excited about Livni`s statement,she`ll turn out to 03:30  |  lakshmi 25/10/07
      9.   Does Zionism also mean maddens ? 04:09  |  Sam (UK) 25/10/07
      10.   Existential Threat 04:11  |  jerry 25/10/07
      11.   livni on Iran 04:30  |  marcel 25/10/07
      12.   Livni - Unfortunately, She IS As Dumb as She Looks 04:44  |  Tod Zuckerman 25/10/07
      13.   Mark # # 3 - Why Don`t You Post On The NY Times 05:01  |  Eli 25/10/07
      14.   Not a threat unless they blow it up 05:17  |  B 25/10/07
      15.   Livni isn`t concerned 05:19  |  * BEN JABO 25/10/07
      16.   Livni and orchestrated threats 05:30  |  Truths 25/10/07
      17.   What this signifies is that people remain divisive on the Iranian 06:46  |  Smadar 25/10/07
      18.   Wow, is this story really true....???? 07:17  |  Swiss (Dino) 25/10/07
      19.   Fear of a nuclear war 07:26  |  Adel 25/10/07
      20.   Livni Is No Golda 07:36  |  Dave Levy 25/10/07
      21.   Livni or Olmert! 07:58  |  Roxana from IRAN 25/10/07
      22.   Little Threat, As Compared to Livni... 08:05  |  Mark 25/10/07
      23.   Golly day, a Zionist who tells the truth! 08:09  |  ballistic 25/10/07
      24.   Israel accepts that there will be no Iranian attack 08:29  |  Clickfool 25/10/07
      25.   Thank you 08:35  |  Natallie Durson 25/10/07
      26.   Tzipi Livni cannot be serious 08:43  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 25/10/07
      27.   Oops! The truth outs 08:53  |  Steve 25/10/07
      28.   Livni rocks --one of the few with integrity and love of country 09:07  |  Yael 25/10/07
      29.   Israel with 400 nukes. Iran with a genorous 4 09:27  |  Joe 25/10/07
      30.   livni bad to israel as 09:33  |  scanadu 25/10/07
      31.   Iran is never a threat to nuclear Israel 09:42  |  New Yorker 25/10/07
      32.   Livni is righy, forget about sharon, he is gone 09:42  |  mehmet 25/10/07
      33.   THANK GOD WE HAVE TZIPI 09:49  |  Kooky Dennt 25/10/07
      34.   4Sam(U.K.) truly said,the world community is tired of this 10:08  |  lakshmi 25/10/07
      35.   Livni is a big threat 10:20  |  Jonathan S 25/10/07
      36.   More betrayal of the Left 10:25  |  Frank 25/10/07
      37.   # 7, Sharon required his lackeys to be morons, he never thought.. 10:26  |  Pavel 25/10/07
      38.   The real question is 10:32  |  Chris Linthwaite 25/10/07
      39.   livni vs iran 10:34  |  samuel 25/10/07
      40.   People have to understand that this is how Haaretz punishes those 10:48  |  Judith, Haifa 25/10/07
      41.   Livni`s error - Iran and world proliferation 10:50  |  Avi 25/10/07
      42.   Livni betrayed Israelis liers! 10:53  |  Roxana from IRAN 25/10/07
      43.   Livni`s word isnt gospel 10:55  |  Rivka 25/10/07
      44.   Wrong singal to Terrior state 11:06  |  Tamrat 25/10/07
      45.   Opening doors .... Eureka! 11:15  |  Esther 25/10/07
      46.   Livni: to Tod Zuckerman 11:17  |  Robert Mabbutt 25/10/07
      47.   THERE IS NO THREAT FROM IRAN 11:28  |  Napolitan 25/10/07
      48.   There will be no Iran with nuclear weapons 11:29  |  Jonathan S 25/10/07
      49.   Just like in the case iof Iraq...there is no threat from Iran 11:29  |  kokonot 25/10/07
      50.   I hope Livni is wrong 11:55  |  Fatallie Furson 25/10/07
      51.   #5 Sam (UGH) 12:00  |  Yonatan 25/10/07
      52.   how is it the repetiton of words by complete idiots is welcomed ? 12:00  |  victor hardman 25/10/07
      53.   YES, IT WILL BE A BIG THREAT 12:05  |  indrajaya 25/10/07
      54.   Read the story, folks 12:08  |  Goldberg 25/10/07
      55.   Livni, America`s Foreign Minister For Israel? 12:21  |  Yoram 25/10/07
      56.   Of course IRAN pose no threat, except in some 12:25  |  FRED 25/10/07
      57.   Livni is a far better statesman than Olmert 12:28  |  Tosefta 25/10/07
      58.   Iran never attack any country, and do not intend too. 12:32  |  Husseini 25/10/07
      59.   Closed doors & morality 12:38  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/10/07
      60.   What the real threat is 12:40  |  Tulip 25/10/07
      61.   Iran will need just one Bomb to wipe off Israel 12:42  |  Rafa 25/10/07
      62.   Mullahs are puppets 12:53  |  Alex 25/10/07
      63.   Aditional evidence for what I said is manifested by the horrid 12:59  |  Judith, Haifa 25/10/07
      64.   THE REAL THREAT IS ISRAEL AND WARMONGER NEOCONS 13:05  |  Octavius 25/10/07
      65.   You realize the mistake you have made 13:08  |  Judith, Haifa 25/10/07
      66.   Like Duh! 13:13  |  Mark Lincoln 25/10/07
      67.   #9 to Sam 13:39  |  Dav 25/10/07
      68.   This is Livni`s personal opinion 13:51  |  Itsik 25/10/07
      69.   This is Livni`s personal opinion 13:52  |  Itsik 25/10/07
      70.   No Big Deal? 14:00  |  Not Amused 25/10/07
      71.   LIVNI Reminds me of Mel Brook`s GET SMART 14:07  |  Fortuna Benmayor 25/10/07
      72.   Excellent post, "dyinglikeflies" # 3 14:08  |  Fortuna Benmayor 25/10/07
      73.   Livni is correct: I endorse her fully 14:18  |  Neville Chamberlain 25/10/07
      74.   Livni not concerned cos she does not care about Israel 14:22  |  SheWill Leave 25/10/07
      75.   Margie in Tel Aviv, Walid and Olive 14:32  |  GABE1- 25/10/07
      76.   Cipora #26 14:38  |  GABE1- 25/10/07
      77.   Bravo to Livini finally a word from the sane!! 14:42  |  Ari 25/10/07
      78.   The real reason that Israel...... 14:43  |  Bryan 25/10/07
      79.   # 75 Gabe A little quiz for the audience...... 14:47  |  Swiss (Dino) 25/10/07
      80.   F.M. Livni 14:51  |  Judah N. Wenkel 25/10/07
      81.   Consider these Words Carefully 15:00  |  David Samson 25/10/07
      82.   In politics 3 months ago is a long time. What would she say today 15:02  |  Zev 25/10/07
      83.   to Rivka # 43 15:02  |  Judah N. Wenkel 25/10/07
      84.   LIVNI , YOU BETTER GO HOME 15:02  |  BOB KING THE ZIONIST 25/10/07
      85.   Who cares? Destroy Iran anyway. 15:32  |  Fred Michaelsberg 25/10/07
      86.   #58: Iran never attacked any country 15:45  |  zvi 25/10/07
      87.   Fortuna Benmayor #71 Iran is the lesser threat 16:03  |  Hubal 25/10/07
      88.   IRAN IS NO THREAT 16:04  |  dan 25/10/07
      89.   Gabe & olives 16:21  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/10/07
      90.   #75 Congrats to Margie in Tel Aviv! 16:21  |  Boycott 25/10/07
      91.   READERS ! HOW YOU KNOW WHATS HAPPENNING BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS ? 16:22  |  Atilla 25/10/07
      92.   Cheney wants an Oil Empire! 16:23  |  Mark 25/10/07
      93.   #26 Cipora Julianna Kohn. Sounds like a good movie. 16:25  |  Hubal 25/10/07
      94.   Armenian Holocaust Reloaded 16:30  |  Yosemite 25/10/07
      95.   Question please help... 16:32  |  Devin 25/10/07
      96.   Which one will be a bigger threat to Israel: Iran or a PA-state? 16:33  |  Alicia 25/10/07
      97.   Who is Telling the Truth? Bush No, Bush lies 16:37  |  MARK 25/10/07
      98.   Fact: US & Israel pose great threat to Iran. 16:37  |  Cool B 25/10/07
      99.   re 98 16:49  |  Devin 25/10/07
      100.   #25, Natallie Durson... 16:52  |  Silvienne 25/10/07
      101.   #31, New Yorker...agreed... 16:54  |  Silvienne 25/10/07
      102.   #98, Mark... 16:55  |  Silvienne 25/10/07
      103.   Mark #92 Business is business! 16:57  |  Hubal 25/10/07
      104.   Gabe 17:42  |  Walid 25/10/07
      105.   My response to Livni 17:52  |  Daniel 25/10/07
      106.   Gas chambers were not a threat to 1940`s Jews? 17:57  |  Sam 25/10/07
      107.   Talking about the forum as you so often do 18:02  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/10/07
      108.   Did someone give her truth serum? 18:07  |  Deborah 25/10/07
      109.   Livni and nukes 18:22  |  khairi janbek 25/10/07
      110.   Congratulations, Olivebranch 18:24  |  whodey 25/10/07
      111.   To Alicia #96 18:30  |  Jeff 25/10/07
      112.   Margie 18:46  |  Walid 25/10/07
      113.   Irrationality 18:54  |  Stanley 25/10/07
      114.   Boris Celsar 18:59  |  MM 25/10/07
      115.   #111 JEFF: but they do NOT care about their own lives! 19:00  |  Alicia 25/10/07
      116.   Yael & Livni 19:12  |  MM 25/10/07
      117.   # 25 Well, Fatmah, that only means that pal`s... 19:13  |  Misha 25/10/07
      118.   Wierd Israel haters 19:16  |  john 25/10/07
      119.   From Italy: god save all nation with clever govern, Livni is not. 19:25  |  enric 25/10/07
      120.   Cipora Julianna Kohn #26 Livni can not be serious 19:32  |  TonyL 25/10/07
      121.   Rafa get REAL!! 19:34  |  Ari 25/10/07
      122.   to: Mark from Boston you are right 19:41  |  Ari 25/10/07
      123.   Walid 19:42  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/10/07
      124.   In other words 19:48  |  Palestinian Prince 25/10/07
      125.   John 20:02  |  Walid 25/10/07
      126.   Olivebranch continues to grow 20:15  |  peter 25/10/07
      127.   I JUST CANT BELIEVEEEEE ! 20:21  |  Atilla 25/10/07
      128.   WHY YOU DONT RECOGNISE ME ? 20:22  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 25/10/07
      129.   I LOVE ATILLA KARAGOZOGLU 20:23  |  TALI FARKASH 25/10/07
      130.   Israel Lies 20:26  |  margaret 25/10/07
      131.   To Joe: You Are Way Off Course 20:45  |  Dave Levy 25/10/07
      132.   Margie,s peace forum for Jews only. 20:51  |  Labhras 25/10/07
      133.   What did Livni Mean? 21:25  |  Tzfonit 25/10/07
      134.   $75 Gabe I So called peace maker. 21:27  |  Labhras 25/10/07
      135.   #107 So called Margie,s the peacenik 21:53  |  Labhras 25/10/07
      136.   LIvni is cuckoo. A nuclear armed Iran poses little threat! 21:53  |  Chaim 25/10/07
      137.   Is Livni Crazy??? 21:54  |  Adam 25/10/07
      138.   Little Threat! 22:02  |  P. J. Casey 25/10/07
      139.   To Tzfonit 22:03  |  zvi 25/10/07
      140.   Walid 22:36  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/10/07
      141.   Mehmet - For once I half agree with you 22:37  |  David Israel 25/10/07
      142.   #66 22:54  |  Moshe 25/10/07
      143.   Walid 23:07  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/10/07
      144.   Walid 23:08  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/10/07
      145.   To Nutallie, Silvienne, and Walid 23:11  |  David Samson 25/10/07
      146.   #126, Labhras... 23:12  |  Silvienne 25/10/07
      147.   Silvienne You are 100% Correct 23:49  |  Mark 25/10/07
      148.   Silvienne Who Mentioned a World War ,Bush 23:55  |  Mark 25/10/07
      149.   Silvienne, Chavez said Bush was the Devil 23:59  |  Mark 25/10/07
      150.   # 108 Deborah UK ,,NO DEAR,PERHAPS YOU NEED ONE!! 00:01  |  Kathy 26/10/07
      151.   Walid פעם שלישי 00:03  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/10/07
      152.   # 96 Alicia ...I HAD THE ANSWER EVEN BEFORE READING YOURS.. 00:10  |  Kathy 26/10/07
      153.   TO ALL OF YOU DOUBTERS..THIS IS AN OLD STORY.NOT RELEVANT TOTODAY 00:21  |  Kathy 26/10/07
      154.   Looks like Livni and Condi 00:37  |  Mark Lincoln 26/10/07
      155.   To Hubal Nº 87 00:56  |  Fortuna Benmayor 26/10/07
      156.   What Will AIPAC Have To Say Now? 01:20  |  chet 26/10/07
      157.   To JJ # 4 01:26  |  Fortuna Benmayor 26/10/07
      158.   To Clickfool and Jonathan S. 01:36  |  Fortuna Benmayor 26/10/07
      159.   To Jonathan S. on Tzipi Livni # 35 01:41  |  Fortuna Benmayor 26/10/07
      160.   Livni is more dangerous than Iran 03:05  |  Alex K 26/10/07
      161.   CJK from Mars # 26 03:11  |  American in NY 26/10/07
      162.   Iran is not a nucleatr threat, All WMD`s are in Iraq 03:18  |  American in NY 26/10/07
      163.   cLICK 24 dURSON 25 04:20  |  Sabra 26/10/07
      164.   #134, Kathy/KATH again bothering Deborah... 05:13  |  Silvienne 26/10/07
      165.   #133, Mark... 05:14  |  Silvienne 26/10/07
      166.   #129, David Samson... 05:17  |  Silvienne 26/10/07
      167.   #132, Mark... 05:20  |  Silvienne 26/10/07
      168.   #131, Mark... 05:22  |  Silvienne 26/10/07
      169.   #24 CLICKFOOL - PREDICTION 06:17  |  PADDY 26/10/07
      170.   response to JJ 06:25  |  Israaiiiel 26/10/07
      171.   Iran is not a threat....... 06:47  |  Willy 26/10/07
      172.   BE BRAVE, ALL IS NOT LOST! 07:22  |  PADDY 26/10/07
      173.   #128 Margie re Walid 07:31  |  whodey 26/10/07
      174.   Evangelicals and Rabbi`s Have it So Now the Mullahs Want It 07:38  |  Tupac 26/10/07
      175.   Livni is sane 08:46  |  Mark Marshall 26/10/07
      176.   Whodey re: right stuff 09:02  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/10/07
      177.   Olivebranch continues to grow 09:14  |  peter 26/10/07
      178.   Whodey re: right stuff 09:22  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/10/07
      179.   Whodey & Walid, re: "Olivebranch" 09:47  |  Maral 26/10/07
      180.   #148 Margie 10:03  |  whodey 26/10/07
      181.   #137 Chet 10:09  |  Goy from Idaho 26/10/07
      182.   oiy what a fool 10:16  |  Kobi 26/10/07
      183.   To Boutros 10:45  |  Maral 26/10/07
      184.   Peter 11:44  |  Walid 26/10/07
      185.   Nuclear Proliferation in the M.E. and beyond 12:20  |  Bill 26/10/07
      186.   A gentle counter to Raanan Gissin`s wish ? 14:23  |  michael mazur 26/10/07
      187.   Maral still a hypocrite? 16:47  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/10/07
      188.   9/11 Was an Inside Job! Anyone else agree? 17:10  |  Mark 26/10/07
      189.   Bush brought us back to the Cold War 17:17  |  Mark 26/10/07
      190.   Bush uses the War on Terror to Terrorize us! 17:24  |  Mark 26/10/07
      191.   #64 Octavius--Right you are! 17:59  |  ballistic 26/10/07
      192.   #61 Rafa, oh please! 18:05  |  ballistic 26/10/07
      193.   #48 Golly Jonathan in Germany 18:09  |  ballistic 26/10/07
      194.   Margie`s invitations 23:13  |  whodey 26/10/07
      195.   #161,ANY 03:52  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 27/10/07
      196.   Whodey re: right stuff 12:26  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 27/10/07
      197.   #193, ballistic to Jonathan... 19:00  |  Silvienne 27/10/07
      198.   Jesus Christ on a Bicycle! She is CRAZY! 22:01  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 27/10/07
      199.   #197 Silvienne - again, you are making statements 16:37  |  * BEN JABO 29/10/07
      200.   Iran never attacks. 11:26  |  SD 31/10/08
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