Livni: This is not the time to boycott Israel's allies
Opposition leader says after meeting with U.S. congressmen that differences of opinion can be overcome.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Jewish World Israel newsIsrael cannot afford to boycott its supporters at the state it is in, Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni said on Thursday following a meeting with a U.S. congressional delegation which was boycotted by Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon.
Tension between the Foreign Ministry and left-leaning Jewish advocacy group J Street, who was behind the congressional visit, was believed to be behind the diplomatic rift between Israel and the U.S. Congress.
"We are all concerned about Israel's future and want what is good for it. Even if there are difference of opinion, and there are, that is not the way to treat Israel's friends who want what is good for it," Livni told reporters after the meeting with the five visiting U.S. congressman.
The opposition leader and Kadima chairperson added that "when there are so many who threaten us, we can not afford to lose those who consider themselves Israel's friends, and even when there is criticism, it is our job as leaders to persuade others we are right instead of giving up the right to do so."
On the subject of Iran, Livni said that Israel "must bolster the U.S. administration's efforts to impose harsher sanctions on Iran."
"The Iranians are playing with the world and trying to earn time, and therefore it is time for severe and harsh sanctions against any attempt by them to further their nuclear program," the opposition leader said, adding that "Iran is not an Israeli problem but the problem of the whole free world.?
On Wednesday, Rep. William Delahunt (D-Massachusetts), who heads the delegation, said at a news conference that it "was with real surprise and disappointment that we read a headline in this morning's newspaper saying 'Foreign Ministry boycotts members of Congress."
J Street director Jeremy Ben-Ami said at the news conference that he was confused by Ayalon's calling the lobby anti-Israel. "Our relations with Israel's embassy in Washington are on the mend...I hope this is no more than his personal opinion," he said.
A senior Jerusalem source said the man who advised Ayalon and President Shimon Peres not to meet the delegation was Baruch Binah, deputy director general for North America in the ministry. Binah advised against the meeting because the delegation includes J Street members and a representative of Churches for Middle East Peace, which the Foreign Ministry sees as anti-Israeli.
"We were puzzled that the deputy foreign minister has apparently attempted to block our meetings with senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office and Foreign Ministry - questioning either our own support of Israel or that we would even consider traveling to the region with groups that the deputy foreign minister has so inaccurately described as 'anti-Israel,'" Delahunt continued.
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If a person from Brooklyn whose family has not been in Palestine in nineteen hundred years has the right to return, why doesn't a person who was born there?
who isn't?
The shia radicals went to iraq and helped sadr. The shia radicals are forcing their way into western afghanistan. Iran is always looking to expand power. Syria killed off so many moderate lebanese politicians they were about to lose their majority so they had to give hezbollah veto power. Syria has no free press. Syria still allows terrorists into iraq and syria still allows major baath party figures from iraq to live in syria. These baath party leaders are involved in horrific suicide bombings in iraq. Syria's leader is a stooge for hezbollah and he grew up as a mentor to hezbollah. His older brother died in a car accident and the other brother was groomed to be the leader. Syria's assad jr is nothing like the father who stayed away from hamas and hezbollah. Syria gave hamas and hezbollah long range rockets. Syria supports islamic jihad and their suicide bombings and have killed many americans in israel. Syria supports hez who blew up jewish center in argentina
the bottom line is when israelis stand up for themselves the world cant stand it jews cant be in control of there own destiny its crazy how we are lectured to by the world and ontop of that we have insecure jews who every time aleader ayalon lieberman etc say som thing to protect our country from racist thugs they cant handle it
It's strange that, because someone disagrees with what can only be called an apartheid policy that they can be labelled anti-Israel. It seems by recent events that the government (who the people have elected?) has no care for those in the US or UK who foot many of the bills for their violence. I want a friendly Israel - but one who does not dismiss the rule of law, and the governance of courts in settling disputes, or indeed, creates millions of second class citizens - it is just not the way the world works in the 21st Century. Israel will have to compromise - I already boycott the goods - and I am probably not alone and will write to my cogressional and parlimentary officals (I have both!) Not to destroy Israel, but to prevent them taking the rest of the world to hell because the Israeli government can't seem to compromise!
It's difficult being a friend of Israel if opponents could always point out smart alecs like you and say "Even Jews are against..." And how come you feel so much smarter than I am? Turkey under Islamis party "friends of Israel" ?!! Bwaaaah.. Even Peres ,a man with no spine was trampled upon by the Turkish PM at Davos. England ,a friend of Israel ?" Bwaah... GB didn't allow US cargo planes to use Britain en route to resupply Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Their FM Jack Straw was screaming with rage at the news Ahmed Yassin was killed . Today he sabotages efforts to prevent arrest of Israeli politicians Is he a friend of Israel ? Only for perennial cringers like you this whole brouhaha about British passports and unwilligness to contain Iran point to a " friendship" on GB's part . Greater man than you ,Alexander Solzenicyn had called England for "Perfidius Albion" and nothing has changed since then.
For once I agree with Ms Livni. The Israeli theocracy is so far off track with the democratic and civilized world, that its not got many friends left. And when Israel has foreign representatives like Lieberman and Ayalon, who apparently have as much diplomatic finesse as Genghis Khan, then it looks like Israel is in self-destruct mode.
I'll happily start it up for you. Yes. She's that stupid.
Israel wants international "friends" and funding and arms from the US at the same time as it has an intransigent policy towards the settlements, an extreme right-wing government policies that do nothing to help stablise the region and a Foreign Minister who would be a complete embarrassment to any country. It even views any divergent opinion from diaspora Jews - for example, in the form of J-Street - as being virtually treasonable. So everyone is meant to fall in line with the wishes of the current government. Why? Because it is the elected government of Israel? Many people - and in my opinion - do not believe that it is necessary to respect the Hamas government in Gaza just because it was democratically elected. So why should one automatically respect the current Israeli government(of course the Israeli government - unlike in Gaza -is not a terrorist-led government).Just because it ws democratically elected does not automatically cloak it in respectability. That must be earned.
They can either stop sending my tax dollars to Foreign Minister Lieberman and Ayalon, or I will stop sending them to Washington. If Israelis think this is diplomacy, then they can pay for it themselves.
It seems that Israel's Foreign Ministry is riddled with poor quality hacks whose most salient feature is their arrogance. Here we have a talentless hack who made the Turkish envoy sit on a lower seat in abeyance to the royal zionist master, as the popes did with delgations of Jews paying their annual due to the arrogance of the papacy. And now the same snubs the hand that feeds him. If this clown ayaloni sets foot in DC every one in Congress should slam their door in his arrogant face and send him packing.
Last time I asked that in some context in a posting, no fewer than 7 talkbackers responded: "Yes, she's that stupid"
an office-boy serving water and coffee to all.
Those "friends of Israel" want the pal "right of return"-Absolute Sweden says. ------------------ And they are right! Israel has to swallow this fact.
That should end all the squabbling. Peace and quiet please. Anyone, ANYONE, starting a war should get its ass kicked to hell. Salaam/Shalom
The problem is you just don't know who your real friends are any more - you have entered tunnel vision and a siege mentality where anyone who utters a word of criticism - for our blunders in Dubai resulting in serious difficulties with the UK, Germany and France, for losing Turkey as an ally, for Cast Lead's mistakes, for breaking our agreement with the EU on labelling settlement produce, for the mess we made of the war against Hezbollah in 2006 etc etc - is dismissed. We are either strong enough to admit errors or we're the local bully. We're either wise enough to create diplomatic offensives along with our military ones, or we leave it to men like Yvet Lieberman and his henchman Ayalon whose racist bigotry is making other nations shun us. The bouts of infantilism we throw are no longer tolerated, and the fact that we can't do Umm Schmum anymore hasn't penetrated your consciences yet. Hurry up and grow up. PS when you reply, don't bother with the "lefty" taunt. I'm not one.
The United States does need israel's alliance, we have presence in Iraq and Afganistan, israel is becoming a liability to us vis a vis our foreign policy and our interests with moslem countries. This shift is being apparent as our relations with Syria is improving. Syria will help us solve the Palestinian problem, the Iran problem, the Hizbollah problem and the Iraqi problems. On the other hand israel is creating problems for us in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and the U.A.E. Syria does not cost us a penny, israel is very expensive to maintain with a zero return.
Looks like a suicide policy ala Germany 1945 and Switzerland 2010
We should collect the ayalon and liebermans pearls, we can make from them a magnifiscent necklace to hang in the israeli government museum
Livni could mend the differences with them as easily as she had mended differences with the Brits on arresting Israeli politicians and officers entering Britain.