GIDEON LEVY / What if Tzipi Livni was prime minister of Israel?

[Poll_Blind]

So spot-on it's not even funny- from Ha'aretz (emphasis mine):

If Livni were prime minister, she of course would have traveled to Washington, just like Benjamin Netanyahu, but she would have returned home in a hail of glory and success. Barack Obama and his guest would have emerged from their meeting smiling and embracing to tell reporters of the palpable "chemistry" between them. Two states for two peoples, the end of the occupation, they would recite. Two fresh, promising, young leaders taking the journey together, because it is their lot.

Back in Israel, Livni would have immediately invited Mahmoud Abbas to renew the negotiations, and he would have happily consented. Once a week, perhaps every two weeks, they would meet at the Prime Minister's Residence for one-on-one sessions, and the chemistry would know no bounds. He would jot down some poetic phrase in the guest book, she would host him hospitably and with respect. Livni, after all, is a pleasant conversationalist. Just ask Abu Ala - Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Ahmed Qureia. On the plus side, the "peace process" would be launched once again. Obama would ease the pressure on Israel to dismantle the outposts and freeze settlement construction because we have a fruitful negotiation process that has seen unprecedented success; there is simply no need to intervene too much.

--SNIP--

A year would pass, maybe two. These are, after all, "complex" negotiations that have no equal. Every so often there would be some mini-crisis about Jerusalem or the right of return. There would be an occasional outbreak of violence, which the Americans would make sure to extinguish immediately. But this chorus - the negotiations - mustn't be stopped. The settlement enterprise would continue to flourish, and the Palestinians' lives would continue as they were: killing, destruction, checkpoints, arrests, unemployment and humiliation.

All this would end in tears. Time more valuable than gold would be wasted for nothing. Livni would not have taken any tangible steps - no evacuation of settlements, no release of prisoners, no lifting of the siege and no reconstruction of Gaza, all of which are much more vital than any declaration of negotiations. In contrast to the Netanyahu era, the U.S. and world would once again have allowed this masquerade ball to take place. They even would have taken part.

To wit, http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=126084&mesg_id=126084">this thread on DU from three years ago, based on an article titled "Peretz: Evacuation of illegal settlement outposts to begin shortly".

For almost 2 1/2 years that single thread was updated regularly with articles relating to the proclamation, illustrating the sham in no uncertain terms.

Levy nails it.

PB

[PDJane]

1. Levy usually does.

Israel does not want peace.