Tzipi Livni, current Prime Minister of IsraelAn editorial by the Arab News in Saudi Arabia following the latest development in Israel notices that
The failure to form a coalition may have freed Livni from spending time and energy trying to appease an extremist partner. But there are fears that the next elections would be won by right-wing parties.
Livni’s efforts to dust off a Saudi peace proposal of 2002, did certainly turn heads in the Middle East especially in the Saudi Arabia. While still suspicious about her intentions Arab News openly favors her compared to her rival Benjamin Netanyahu, who according to this editorial:
Benjamin Netanyahu’s possible victory would put a definite end to any search for peace. Netanyahu of the Likud party refuses to discuss any final-status issues with the Palestinians, such as Jerusalem, the refugees and borders. He also strongly rejects the idea of a state for Palestinians.
I will not discuss the merits of this claim about Netanjahu, but I wonder if this is true what is the point of a peace agreement reached by one main party but rejected by the other? Instead of hoping for a Livni victory those who are seeking a quick resolution to the Middle East’s main conflict should hope to narrow the gap between the visions of Kadima and Likud. Otherwise, even in the best scenario you will be looking at a peace agreement that lasts only one election cycle.
