Livni: Netanyahu endangering U.S. support for Israel

Opposition leader Tzipi Livni warned Sunday that Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu's reluctance to declare support for a two-state solution may cause the United States to withdraw its support for Israel.

"In the past it was clear that Israel wanted to accept the peace process," Livni told Army Radio. "The government today is not prepared to advance the process and set future borders, and the feeling in the world is that all Israel is trying to do is gain time."

Livni's comments came after U.S. president Barack Obama pledged last week to personally pursue a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during a speech to the Muslim world in Cairo.

The opposition leader also weighed in on the issue of whether there have been understandings with the U.S. over construction characterized by "natural growth," a question over which a sharp disagreement has erupted between Israel and its superpower ally.

"There were no formal agreements on the matter, but an attempt to delineate borders and discuss the question of whether the settlement blocs would remain within Israel's bounds," said Livni, who served as foreign minister in Israel's last government.

She confirmed a statement made by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday that there was no "memorialization" of any informal and oral agreements.

"If they did occur, which of course people say they did, they did not become part of the official position of the United States government," said Clinton.

	Opposition leader Tzipi Livni.
	Photo by: (David Bachar)