Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni continues to strike out on her own path regarding Israel’s policy toward its enemies. Yesterday, she called for direct and immediate talks between Israel and the Palestinians:
Tel Aviv- Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni called Wednesday night for direct talks between Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli media reported. “It will enable us to hear first hand what is happening there, what is possible and what isn’t. I don’t like mediators, nor do I like Arab media or intelligence,” Livni told a conference in the northern Israeli port city of Haifa.
During the Lebanon war she opposed Israel’s massive response to Hezbollah’s provocation and refused to become a cheerleader for the cause of war. This earned her the wrath of Ehud Olmert and her former rightist allies. Now, she continues to advocate for a more moderate position. This is quite astonishing when you consider the ardent nationalist family into which she was born. But it’s quite welcome nonetheless. One wonders what her political future can be since the prevailing bleak mood in Israel seems anything but receptive to proposals for dialogue or compromise. But more power to her and I hope she carries the day (eventually if not today).
While Israel has just lifted the air blockade of Lebanon allowing commercial flights to land in Beirut for the first time in weeks (actually a small trickle of flights have arrived over the past few days), it still refuses to life the naval blockade claiming there are not yet enough ships to interdict Hezbollah-bound sea shipments of armaments. The bottling up of Lebanon’s ports is far more significant to the Lebanese economy than the air blockade since commerce and trade centers around sea shipments rather than air. Israel promises to life the siege within 48 hours. It has made many similar past promises it has not kept. We’ll see what happens. I would like to see civilian shipping test the blockade by attempting to sail into Lebanese waters without asking Israeli permission. Let the Israelis know that their obdurateness will not be taken lying down.
It is very hopeful that Livni is taking a more moderate stand considering her family background. On her father’s tombstone is a map of Israel that extends boundaries beyond Israel and the West Bank. I was not aware that some in Israeli had designs on Jordan or elsewhere. I once had a vehement argument in the early seventies with Iranian students who claimed Israel had expansionist designs. I, of course, thought Israel was only holding the West Bank etc. until they were recognized by the Arab world. Were there any serious plans to expand beyond the West Bank?
Thanks for helping us to educate us, Jeanne
There’s a formulation in the Bible I think of “from the Nile to the Euphrates.” And I’ve also heard of “from the Jordan to the Nile.”
Not serious in my estimation. But there is a definite expansionist vision among some extreme nationalists like Eitan Livni, whose tombstone you read about (I hadn’t heard that story btw), & others alive today.
Even though Livni is with a right wing government and was the daughter of extremists I had a good feeling about her. Your information confirms my intuition and gives me hope. I think she has the ability to gain the confidence of Israelis and help lead to a resolution of this sad situation. This might be desperation on my part, but I don’t think so. Let’s hope, Jeanne
“I was not aware that some in Israeli had designs on Jordan or elsewhere.”
It’s that astounding ignorance that makes my very soul weep in despair. The land that is currently “Jordan” was promised to the Jews under the Balfour Declaration. Only my cowardly government rescinded on the deal.
Israel has ceded around 93% of the territory captured in the Six Day War back to its warmongering Arab neighbours, including the vast Sinai desert–an area 3 times the size of Israel and which would’ve made her self-sufficient in oil consumption.
There is no expansionist policy. Israel’s land mass occupies around 1/10 of 1% of the Middle East. Conversely, the Arabs have 14 million square kilometers.
That and two bits will get you a cup of coffee. What diff. does it make what was written in the Balfour Declaration? Do you think that Israel’s right to a piece of land can be validated by a colonial power? And based on a document that is 90 years old? Your dredging of old history makes me yawn with boredom.
What diff. does this statistic make? None. Israel will end up returning all but a small amount of conquered territory when a final peace settlement is signed. It matters not a whit how much it has already returned. A key principle of such a deal will be an Israeli return to 1967 borders (w. a few territorial adjustments).
Israel just this week announced plans to build 700 new housing units on disputed territory between Maaleh Adumim & Betar Illit. This plan violates the Road Map which Olmert has been professing to support for the past wk. The plan was criticized (tepidly) by the Bush Administration for this very reason. And yet you have the utter chutzpah to fly in the face of every bit of reality we know regarding this conflict. Who do you think you’re fooling?
I was unaware that Jordan was included in the Balfour Declaration. What land was promised? Great Britain had offered the Arabs independence in the MacMahon Pledge, why did they later issue the Balfour Declaration? In the movie “Lawrence of Arabia”, Lawrence is so tormented in the end. Was it about the betrayal of his promise to the Arab’s or was he sexually conflicted or both? I have always wondered. Thanks for the information, Jeanne