Members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee on Monday had harsh words of criticism for Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who according to MK (Likud) Dr. Yuval Shteinitz has not appeared before the committee in seven months.

Another committee member concurred, while Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) reports the figure is more accurately about five months, but by all accounts, too long for the senior minister to not have briefed the committee members on her actions.

Calls included “She should spend less time abroad and begin doing her work and fulfilling responsibilities at home.

As the general election for the 18th Knesset is in full swing, Livni, who is the successor of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as the Kadima leader, is coming under mounting criticism for failing to articulate, to come out and state he position and policies on an array of issues.

Critics, including political opponents and the media, accuse Livni of continuing to seek to portray herself as the politically clean candidate, but she repeatedly quotes her advisors and others, habitually failing to state her own opinion and policy on critical issues.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)