Livni named one of 150 'women who shake the world'
LAST UPDATED: 03/08/2011 14:21
"The Daily Beast" and "Newsweek" say Livni is 'leading advocate of two-state solution'; 2 other Israeli women named on list.
Tzipi Livni speaking in Tel Aviv Photo: REUTERS/Baz Ratner
Opposition leader Tzipi Livni is one of the top 150 “women who shake the world,”
according to a list compiled by Newsweek and the website Daily Beast in honor of
the “Women in the World” conference taking place this week in New
York.
The magazine praised Livni as a leading advocate of a two-state
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a former foreign minister, and the
first woman to serve as Israel’s opposition leader.
“Sometimes referred
to as ‘Mrs. Clean,’ she has a reputation for an unusual level of integrity and
honesty,” the magazine said.
Livni told Israel Radio that being included
on the list was a compliment and strengthened her. However, she said she was not
in politics to get good headlines, in Hebrew or English, but to change the
country. Livni suggested that with this new honor, Israel could now take credit
for more than just the Oscars of Jerusalem-born Best Actress winner Natalie
Portman and Best Short Documentary winner Strangers No More.
“There is so
little to rejoice in here [in Israel],” Livni said. “We rejoiced in the Oscars
of a terrific actress who left Israel at age three and a movie about children
whose future citizenship is in doubt. If now we see Israel in Newsweek with a
positive headline, it’s wonderful.”
Two other Israeli women were included
on the list: Peace activist Terry Greenblatt, who is the executive director of
the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights, and Jerusalem-born journalist
Rula Jebreal, who wrote a screenplay that tells the story of three generations
of Palestinian women through the eyes of a girl growing up in Jerusalem during
the first intifada.
As part of the same conference, the magazine
sponsored a poll, asking a representative sample of 400 American females about
which women they admired the most.
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey finished
ahead of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They were followed by First Lady
Michelle Obama, former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, former first lady
Laura Bush, ABC anchor Diane Sawyer and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.