Livni claims that officials raise security fears to avoid negotiations with Palestinians

Israeli officials are making Israeli security an excuse not to reopen peace negotiations with the Palestinians, Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni claimed on Monday.

Livni, who is in charge of negotiations for the Israeli government, told the Jerusalem Post that the issue of the Middle East generally depends on choosing the “least worst option”. This, she added, is better than doing nothing at all which would be the “most dangerous” option.

Pointing out that making concessions for peace does not necessarily mean harming Israel’s security, Livni noted that starting negotiations with the Palestinians gives Israel the right to take any necessary steps with regards to self-defence. Furthermore, she said that the US would guarantee Israel’s security if a two-state solution was agreed upon.

According to Livni, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports her efforts to revive the peace negotiations with the Palestinians based on the two-state solution. She also said that some of the opponents of a peace agreement, such as the leader of the right-wing Jewish Home Party, Naftali Bennett, had recently announced support for negotiations.