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Last update - 18:42 06/07/2009
Livni: Netanyahu doesn't really believe in two-state solution
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel News, Tzipi Livni 

Opposition leader Tzipi Livni on Monday questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In a highly anticipated foreign policy address at Bar-Ilan University last month, Netanyahu said he would be ready to agree to a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside Israel, a reversal of the premier's longstanding opposition to a two-state solution.

In remarks to lawmakers at the Knesset, the former foreign minister accused the premier of paying lip service to the concept of a Palestinian state.
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"I, like everyone, heard the speech at Bar-Ilan University [in which Netanyahu said Israel would agree to a demilitarized Palestinian state] and I didn't know whether to be happy or not," the Kadima chairwoman said on Monday.

"The prime minister still does not really believe that this is the right path for Israel but he understands that this is the right thing to say," Livni said. "'The world is demanding it, so I have to say it.' This is how Netanyahu explained it to his faction members."

The Kadima-led opposition submitted a no-confidence measure to the parliament on Monday against the government, which recently concluded its first 100 days in office.

Netanyahu told his cabinet Sunday that the government has won "broad national consensus" in Israel for the concept of a two-state solution, hailing it as a major achievement of his 100-day-old coalition.

"Netanyahu doesn't really believe that two states, a Jewish state and a Palestinian state, even a demilitarized one, is an Israeli interest," Livni charged on Monday. "But the prime minister was surprised to encounter the outside world and placed Israel, to my great sorrow, in the position of the party that is rejecting peace and then he understood that at this stage he needs to utter the words 'two states'."

The right-leaning coalition has not enjoyed the honeymoon period traditional in politics, Netanyahu said at the beginning of Sunday's cabinet meeting. "I can't say that we had 100 days of grace," he said. "I'm not sure we had even one day of grace."

Speaking on the government's activities since it took office a little more than three months ago, Netanyahu said his cabinet already had a number of outstanding achievements behind it, the main one being the establishment of a national unity government.

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      1.   Bibi personally probably realises that a genuine... 18:08  |  Esther 06/07/09
      2.   lip service 18:09  |  peter 06/07/09
      3.   Livni doesn`t either 18:09  |  Uetliberg 06/07/09
      4.   Livni as Bibi`s personal rabbi. 18:22  |  Fortuna Benmayor 06/07/09
      5.   "Netanyahu doesn`t believe in two-state solution". 18:26  |  Akram Zekaria 06/07/09
      6.   livni its been in exustence since 1922 its now called jordan 18:29  |  v hardman 06/07/09
      7.   Peter #1... your criticism of Livni is not acurate... 18:44  |  Esther 06/07/09
      8.   Israel Does Not Believe in a Palestinian State 18:51  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/07/09
      9.   Livni, you`re not helping. 19:01  |  Andrew 06/07/09
      10.   lip service 19:11  |  George Duraisingh 06/07/09
      11.   Even a blind squirrel 19:17  |  Mark Lincoln 06/07/09
      12.   Neither do the Palestinians beleive in a state! 19:20  |  Dean Blake 06/07/09
      13.   Nor Should One Believe In Easter Bunnies and Leprechauns 19:26  |  UsedToPostHere 06/07/09
      14.   there are differences....who`s in coalition 19:58  |  Smadar 06/07/09
      15.   cats out of the bag 20:07  |  rez 06/07/09
      16.   Who knows? 20:08  |  bronxite10 06/07/09
      17.   It doesn`t matter what Netanyahu believes 21:00  |  Natallie Durson 06/07/09
      18.   Livni`s Insight 21:05  |  Taillefer 06/07/09
      19.   PA Incompetence=Israel`s best friend 21:34  |  Ibrahim 06/07/09
      20.   he believes in one thing 21:39  |  michael 06/07/09
      21.   Now she is a mind reader too, what next? astronaut? 22:25  |  Mark C 06/07/09
      22.   Neither does Livni 22:32  |  Tarik 06/07/09
      23.   Livni doesn`t really believe in ISRAEL. 22:41  |  joe 06/07/09
      24.   Livni talked of peace but never meant it either 22:58  |  Fed up 06/07/09
      25.   Well 23:33  |  daniel 06/07/09
      26.   The final paragraph says it all 23:53  |  Jim 06/07/09
      27.   Ibrahim 00:20  |  Bev 07/07/09
      28.   Get in gear 00:51  |  Bazmann 07/07/09
      29.   bib does not conspire with foreign govts to subvert Iraeli electo 01:03  |  bernard ross 07/07/09
      30.   beliefs 01:18  |  oz 07/07/09
      31.   Bird Girl, SHUT UP 02:18  |  *BEN JABO 07/07/09
      32.   Of course livni, nobody does especially the Pals 02:18  |  Where is the partner 07/07/09
      33.   Livni`s comments are irresponsible... 02:26  |  Milton 07/07/09
      34.   3 more years of No change 03:12  |  Marc Leb 07/07/09
      35.   To Tarik from Boston 04:05  |  bbohbot 07/07/09
      36.   Livni: neither do I 06:06  |  US CITIZEN 07/07/09
      37.   How rabid the right 06:59  |  Mark Lincoln 07/07/09
      38.   That`s OK, because neither do the Arabs... whoopy friggin do! 07:22  |  I love fallafel 07/07/09
      39.   Gosh! Tell us something we don`t know. 09:09  |  Johnboy 07/07/09
      40.   Although you pretended you didn`t know 13:26  |  *BEN JABO 07/07/09
      41.   #40 Johnboy - Ever hear about Mt. Scopus? 18:45  |  *BEN JABO 09/07/09
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