At INSS conference, FM says next PM must learn to "enlist the world" and recognize "shared interests."
By ELIE LESHEMlivni un 248.88(photo credit: AP)
The identity of Israel's next prime minister will greatly influence Jerusalem's ability to enlist the new US administration to stand for its interests, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Thursday, asserting that the United Nation's recent decision to officially endorse the US-sponsored peace process with the Palestinians was an opportunity.
"The wisdom that is required of leadership lies in the ability to recognize in advance interests shared with the rest of the world and thus muster the world to our benefit," Livni said at a conference at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). If one works with the world correctly, it is possible to mobilize it on our side. I have proven this is possible. It doesn't work if you begin the conversation by saying no."
Israel, the foreign minister claimed, "must decide where it is situated. It can be an Israel that speaks in antiquated expressions such as 'economic peace,' hoping that the world won't notice; an Israel that instead of enlisting the world rebukes it… or a country that identifies shared interests and leads processes that serve its interests."
The UN Security Council's decision to back the process launched at the Annapolis Conference is one such case where Israel's interests overlapped with those of the international community, she continued. "The world isn't coercing Israel into an agreement, it isn't forcing a timeline and it recognizes that our plan is the diplomatic plan that is on the table."
Livni made the assertion that a Palestinian government would only receive full recognition after it "relinquishes terror and recognizes Israel and prior agreements."
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