Speaking to the first faction meeting since the elections, The Movement leader Tzipi Livni praised her party members, labeling them “the most experienced in the current Knesset”.

Livni explained that the party’s main issue is the continuation of the diplomatic process between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority), stating The Movement is the only party truly concerned “with a genuine renewal of the peace process”. She feels that the issues her party stressed during the election campaign are only that much more relevant today as US President Barak Obama is planning to make his first visit here in the coming months.

Livni explains that while she and her colleagues remain quiet, they are engaged in coalition negotiations and they take the process extremely seriously and distance themselves from the political spins. For Livni is it about “a real resumption of a negotiating process” and she feels for her and her party, this is ‘the’ issue and if that can be worked out in the coalition talks there is room for them in the coalition. She stressed “we will not be a fig leaf for Prime Minister Netanyahu” and if the party feels coalition leaders are unwilling to comply with the core issues, they will remain in the opposition.

Livni added that party member MK Elazar Stern began working on the sharing the burden in his capacity as Chief of IDF Personnel Branch while in the military, and for him, this is ‘the’ issue and he continues to devote him time and energies to advancing this program.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)