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World Jewish News
'2-state solution sticking point for Likud-Kadima coalition'
26.02.2009
Differences over Palestinian statehood are likely to scupper Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to forge a broad government with his main rival, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, an official of his Likud party said on Thursday.
"There is across-the-board agreement on Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas but there is a big gap between Kadima and Likud on the two states for two people. It's unsolvable," Silvan Shalom, a senior Likud legislator and former foreign minister, told Army Radio.
Prime Minister-designate Netanyahu plans to meet Livni on Friday in another attempt to recruit her centrist Kadima party, which backs the Palestinians' quest for a state. He wants to shift the focus of U.S.-sponsored peace talks from thorny territorial issues that would set the boundaries of a state to shoring up the Palestinian economy.
Netanyahu has said any Palestinian state must have only limited sovereignty and be demilitarized.
Livni has said Kadima would not join a government that does not commit clearly to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
As Israel's chief negotiator with the Palestinians in the outgoing government, Livni has been at the forefront of a land-for-peace process whose declared aims are to achieve a viable Palestinian state and security for Israel.
"Unfortunately the answers we are receiving from Kadima leaders is that there is no chance of her changing her position. And it seems that tomorrow she will say a final 'no'," Silvan Shalom told Israeli Army Radio.
Asked about Shalom's remarks, a Kadima spokeswoman said Livni's position was unchanged.
Источник: Haaretz
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