Livni: Israelis abroad must not affect Israel's fate

In response to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s support of a bill which would grant voting rights to Israelis living abroad, Kadima and opposition leader Tzipi Livni harshly criticized the initiative in a statement released on Monday evening.

“The right to determine Israel’s fate must lie in the hands of those who live in Israel and are willing to bear the brunt of their decisions,” she said in the statement.

While Livni said Israelis who have left the country “should be encouraged to cultivate ties to [Israel] and to return to it,” she remained adamant that they must not be allowed to determine its government.

“During his first year in office and also today, Netanyahu has proved that he is prepared to sell the country’s future out to his political partners,” Livni’s statement concluded.