Israel-Palestine: An Economic Platform for the Peace Process?

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the Secretary-General of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, Angel Gurria, signed an agreement on Tuesday paving the way for Israel to become the 32nd member of  the OECD this May.

Israeli President Shimon Peres stated that membership in the organization would enable Israel to show the world its technological and scientific ability.

However, a West Jerusalem official was cautious: "In politics, nothing is final until it's final, and today there are more countries angry with Israel." Earlier Tuesday, Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi urged the OECD to reject Israel's request for membership, saying state-led discrimination against the Arab sector ran counter to the group's regulations. On the economic side, the OECD is concerned about the country's high level of national debt relative to gross domestic product, as well as its heavy spending on security.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad received 158 million euros from the European Union as part of the 500 million euros in  aid to the Palestinians for 2010. However, the EU representative to the Palestinian Authority, Christian Burger, warned PA that this support would not continue without clear progress in the peace process with Israel.

Israel and Gaza: Tzipi Livni "For Israeli Soldiers, I Will Go to Europe"

On Monday, the former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni appeared on CNN's Amanpour guest. Livni defended the Gaza War Operation Cast Lead because it "regained deterrence" to Israel and stated that the blockade on Gaza will continue as long as there is no official representative of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip:  "Gates are open to Gazans when it comes to humanitarian needs".

Speaking about the arrest warrant issued for her by a British court because of Gaza, Livni said that she is willing to travel to any part of Europe as a "test case" for IDF soldiers to travel and see the free values of the free world.

AMANPOUR: Tonight, on the one-year anniversary of the end of the war in Gaza, we look at the troubled Middle East peace process, which President Obama has also made a center point of his foreign policy.

And from Jerusalem, we have an exclusive interview with Tzipi Livni, head of the Israeli opposition party Kadima. She had served as foreign minister during the previous Israeli administration throughout the Gaza war.

Ms. Livni, thank you for joining us from Jerusalem.

TZIPI LIVNI, FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER, ISRAEL: Thank you.

AMANPOUR: Let me ask you, it's a year since the Gaza war. There's still a huge amount of controversy over it. What about lifting the Israeli blockade on Gaza? How come that hasn't happened one year later?

LIVNI: The idea of the military operation was in order to stop terror. And there is no dispute today, especially not in Israel, that the operation in Gaza regained deterrence. And Israeli civilians that couldn't live in the places which are close to Gaza Strip can live and have peaceful life.

AMANPOUR: So does that mean that the blockade will stay on?

LIVNI: The blockade on Gaza -- yes. But it's important to say that, when it comes to humanitarian needs, the gates are open.

AMANPOUR: Obviously, there's some humanitarian aid getting in, but there's, for instance, construction materials, all sorts of things that it needs to stand on its feet are not getting in. But I want to ask you, should Israel now, a year later, negotiate a full cease-fire with Hamas in exchange for lifting the blockade?

LIVNI: No, I don't think so. Basically, Hamas doesn't represent the national aspiration of the Palestinians. I believe that Israel needs to re-launch negotiations with Fatah, with the legitimate Palestinian government, with those who represent the legitimate aspiration of the Palestinians for a state of their own.

Hamas represents extreme religious ideology. Religious conflicts are unsolvable. And in this region, when the division is between extremists and moderates, we need to act in a dual strategy, on one hand, to act against terror, not to give legitimacy directly or indirectly with Hamas, to Hamas, and to continue the dialogue with the moderates, with the pragmatic leadership of the Palestinians.

AMANPOUR: You know the Palestinians say that a complete halt to settlement activity is -- is vital. You know the president, Barack Obama, and this U.S. administration started by saying that a condition would be a complete halt to Israeli settlement activity. What do you make of the fact that the U.S. President Obama made that his initial condition? Now it's no longer a condition.

LIVNI: Listen, it's not for me -- you know, to make opinions on this. But just to give you an example about the situation that we had about a year ago, we had negotiations with the Palestinians. We built trust. They understood that the Israeli government -- anyway, the former Israeli government -- wanted to achieve peace, and we are willing to make the concessions which are needed in order to do so.

And we believed that this is -- this is the same -- or this is what the Palestinians are standing, also, in order to end the conflict.

AMANPOUR: Do you think it could be done in two years?

LIVNI: So talking about...

AMANPOUR: If it starts, do you think negotiations can end in two years?

LIVNI: Less than that. Oh, yes.

AMANPOUR: Like Mitchell said?

LIVNI: Oh, yes. I think that -- I don't want to -- to refer to timeline. I mean, I negotiated with the Palestinians for nine months. And we had some achievement in this negotiation.

[15:20:00]

So it's not a -- not a matter of time. It's a matter of an understanding of by both sides, by both leaders, that time works against those who believe in two states for two peoples, that we cannot afford a situation in which the conflict transfers from -- or being transferred from a national conflict to a religious one, that we cannot afford to give excuses for radical elements in the region to recruit or to have more support in different part of this -- of this region.

So I believe that this needs to be started now, and the question of timeline is less important, as long as the two leaders -- two leaderships understand that time is of the essence.

AMANPOUR: OK.

LIVNI: There is no need to -- you know, to waste more time or to have a dialogue for a dialogue. It's time for decisions.

AMANPOUR: Let's go back to the Gaza war a year ago and the fallout from that. You've said the blockade will continue. As you know, the Goldstone report has said that Israel used disproportionate force and has called for an inquiry and has called for Israel to -- to -- to sort of hold accountable those who were responsible. Why is it that Israel will not hold a public inquiry? And do you think that it should?

LIVNI: Basically, I cannot accept any comparison between Israeli soldiers and these terrorists. I mean, there is no -- and this is something that Goldstone made in his report.

During the operation in Gaza -- and, as you mentioned, I was a decision-maker there -- and we took all the necessary steps in order to avoid civilian casualties, even though it's not easy when this is highly populated place, when terrorists hiding among civilians.

AMANPOUR: Ms. Livni? Why is it that Israel has not held and has not made any move to hold a public inquiry, a public investigation into these allegations? Even your own ex-justice minister, Barak, is saying that there should be such a probe of some sort. Why not?

LIVNI: There are -- there are different views on this in Israel, and I think that there is now a process of decision-making in the current Israeli government whether to take this or not.

But since I was there during the operation and I know what was done and the -- well, it's the military, and it's not public inquiry, but they checked all the different cases that also Goldstone referred to. And it's important for me to say whether there's going to be or not going to be an inquiry. The morality of the Israeli soldiers, for me, it's not in question.

Since I'm not going to accept all these comparisons between Israeli soldiers and terror, I think that this is part of the answer that Israel needs to give publicly.

LIVNI: But as I said before, there is now the internal discussion on this, in Israel, and the only question for me is whether this kind of an inquiry can give the support and can defend Israeli soldiers when they leave the state of Israel and visiting other places.

AMANPOUR: Well, I was going to ask you -- let -- let -- let me ask you, because there was an arrest warrant potentially out for yourself. Israeli leaders, even Defense Minister Barak have been likened to war criminals. There's a controversy going on in Turkey right now. Are you worried that, if you leave Israel and come to London or other such places in Europe, that you could be arrested?

LIVNI: Well, yes, this -- it's not -- it's not my worry on a personal basis. In a way, I would like this to have, in a way, maybe even a test -- a test case, because I'm willing to speak up and to -- to speak about the military operation in Gaza Strip to explain that Israel left Gaza Strip, we dismantled all the settlements, we took our forces out, Israel was targeted, we showed restraint, and at the end of the day, we needed to act against terror, and are willing to say so, including any court in London or elsewhere. But...

(CROSSTALK)

AMANPOUR: So you're saying you're willing to be arrested as a test case?

LIVNI: For me, this is not a question. I mean, yes, the answer is yes. I am -- I know that the decisions that we made were crucial to give an answer to Israeli civilians that couldn't live in the south part of Israel and later or even also in different parts of Israel. It was part of my responsibility, and this was the right answer. And I'm willing to spend for (ph) these reasons and to explain this to -- to the world and to any court.

But part of our responsibility is also to give -- or to defend the Israeli soldiers and officials that worked according to our decisions in the government. And if an inquiry helps them, this is fine, so I can support an inquiry, as long as this helps them.

It's not about me.

[15:25:00]

It's about the Israeli soldiers, because I want them to leave Israel and to feel free to visit different parts of the world according, you know, to -- like any -- like any other citizen of the free world and any other soldier...

AMANPOUR: OK.

LIVNI: ... and fight for the values of the free world in different parts of the world.

AMANPOUR: On that note, Tzipi Livni, head of the Kadima Party in Israel, thank you so much for joining us.

LIVNI: Thank you. Thank you.

Israel-Turkey: Another Visit for the "Strategic" Relationship

Following Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Ankara, Foreign Ministry Director-General Yossi Gal will today hold official meetings with Turkish officials on the biannual Turkish-Israeli strategic dialogue.

According to Israeli officials, the last meeting was held six months ago. The discussion included regional developments such as those in Iran and Iraq as well as relationss with the European Union.

According to the Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet, the scheduled visit of Gal --- who is seen as a representative of the "hawkish" wing of Israeli politics --- is a "positive" sign that West Jerusalem wants to ameliorate relations, even though Israeli officials stated that it was scheduled well before last week's diplomatic crisis between Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and Turkish ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol.

The "Strategic" Israel-Turkey Relationship: Barak's Ankara Visit

On Sunday, Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak held a 3 1/2-hour meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, which an Israeli official said was conducted in a very friendly atmosphere. During Barak's meeting with Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, the former again acknowedged reiterated the "mistake" of Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon's snub of the Turkish ambassador to Israel:

I believe it was a mistake, and the right step was taken according to the norms of diplomacy. It is appropriate that all the ups and downs in our relationship over the years should be solved and put behind us.

A satisfied Gonul highlighted the "strategic" relationship between both countries:

We are living in the same area and although we don’t have a common border with Israel, we have the same interests. As long as we share interests, we will work together. We are strategic allies. We would like to cooperate with Israel in every area.

Barak responded, "We see Turkey as a very important regional player. I have the confidence that we can continue to follow good friendly cooperation despite ups and downs."

So what were the components of this "strategic" relationship? In the press briefing, three main topics were put forth: Iran's nuclear programme, Turkey's role in the currently blocked peace talks between Syria and Israel, and cooperation in the defense sector.

When asked by an Israeli reporter whether Ankara was able to satisfy Tel Aviv's concerns over Tehran's nuclear programme, Gonul said that every country has the right to develop nuclear energy, yet Turkey would not like to see a nuclear-armed Iran. When Barak was reminded about Turkey's mediation offer, he said that there has been an offer so there is no need to bring it forward since there is no detail on the peace talks yet.
Both leaders then talked about the details of the Heron deal, in which Israel will send six jet fighters to Turkey in March and four in June.

Palestine: Abbas Calls on Washington to "Draw Red Lines" for Israel

Despite last week's proposal of the Quartet (US, European Union, United Nations, and Russia) that Israel reopen the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority headquarters in East Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman declared on Sunday that Israel would not make any more gestures to the Palestinians: "We expect the Palestinians to make gestures to us. First and foremost, they must stop their incitement against Israel in the international arena."

Later on Sunday, the Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas intervened and called on Washington to draw "red lines" for Israel. Abbas reiterated their demands on a full halt in the Israeli settlement construction the West Bank.