Kadima leader Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni caused a bit of a political storm at home following her comments in the Sharm el-Sheikh Quartet Conference on Sunday.

Livni, who recently called for general elections when she failed to build a government coalition, told participants in the senior forum that an agreement is in hand and they are already working on the map stage of a deal with the PA (Palestinian Authority).

According to a Channel 1 News report, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was angered over Livni’s statements, drawing an analogy to the United States, stating that even President-elect Obama is not involved in the political process prior to assuming office.

Aides to the foreign minister stated that the Prime Minister’s Office was indeed informed prior to Livni’s departure for the conference and nothing was done behind the prime minister’s back.

Livni stated that talks on the future status of Yerushalayim have not taken place, but they will in the future, assuring participants in the conference that direct talks between Israel and the PA would continue.

Livni called for “well-worded concrete agreements”, not “ambiguous wording that would lead to future disputes”. She stated that “general and vague documents” are not sought after, but rather specific “articulately worded agreements” providing solutions to the conflict. She stressed Israel acknowledges the need for the establishment of a non-terror Palestinian state.

Despite Livni’s grandiose statements, the PA’s Abu Mazen was considerably less optimistic, citing the lack of progress and lag in reaching a final status agreement.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)