Mitzna: Livni ‘breached our trust'

No. 2 on the Tzipi Livni Party's list blasts leader over her reported intention to hand Peretz environmental protection portfolio.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Tzipi Livni, Amir Peretz 'Hatnua' 390 (photo credit: LAHAV HARKOV)
Tzipi Livni, Amir Peretz 'Hatnua' 390
(photo credit: LAHAV HARKOV)
Tzipi Livni breached trust within her party, MK Amram Mitzna, No. 2 on The Tzipi Livni Party’s list, said on Sunday.
“The problem isn’t between me and [MK Amir] Peretz [Livni Party], it’s between me and party leader Livni,” Mitzna told Army Radio.
“There was a breach of trust, something that isn’t done.”
Last week Livni signed a coalition agreement with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, resulting in her becoming justice minister and another Livni Party MK set to become environmental protection minister.
Mitzna’s comments came in response to speculation that Peretz, who is the party’s No. 3, and not Mitzna – who as No. 2 would have been expecting the appointment – will probably become the party’s second minister.
While the Livni-Netanyahu agreement does not name the minister, and Livni said last week that she had not yet decided who would fill the slot, Peretz is the likely candidate, while Mitzna would become a Knesset committee chairman.
At a party faction meeting on Wednesday, the morning after the coalition agreement was announced, Mitzna publicly snubbed Peretz, who reached out to shake the No. 2’s hand.
Still, Mitzna said Sunday of his return to politics: “I am not sorry for embarking on this adventure.
“I plan to be an MK; I was elected,” he added. “I won’t quit and won’t ‘bring redemption to number seven’ [on the party list, which has only six seats in the new Knesset], as I heard people say. I will do everything to influence the difficult reality that we are facing.”
The Tzipi Livni Party MK and former Labor leader refused to expand on his opinion about the party joining the coalition.
“I would rather not deal with coalition matters. I think we’re far from forming a government,” he said.