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Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni (Reuters)
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Last update - 11:07 25/10/2007
Livni behind closed doors: Iran nukes pose little threat to Israel
By Gidi Weitz and Na'ama Lanski, Haaretz Correspondents

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  |