Israeli Cabinet Ministers Snipe over Palestinian Policy

Israel’s amalgamation of diverse interests into a functioning cabinet showed the strain on Tuesday when Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is assigned oversight of negotiations with the Palestinians, took a swipe at Finance Minister Yair Lapid for comments he made to The New York Times regarding issues relative to Palestinian policies. Lapid had suggested that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is not a partner for peace and defended Israeli sovereignty over east Jerusalem — acquired by Israel in the 1967 war and later annexed. Invoking a policy widely unpopular among the international community, Lapid also defended expanding Jewish communities located on post-1967 land to accommodate the natural expansion necessitated by growing families. Livni, who ended a three-year stint heading negotiations with the Palestinians in the previous government headed by Ehud Olmert without success, charged that Lapid’s remarks run counter to his party’s campaign promises and “do not promote the peace process.”