Livni: We'll continue to push for peace deal by year's end
In first public appearance after PM Olmert's announcement that he will step
down after Kadima primaries, foreign minister says she has been striving to
reach agreement with Palestinians this year and will continue to do so,
calls on all parties to unit behind agenda of Israeli security and peace
process
Yitzhak Benhorin YNET Published: 07.31.08, 19:34 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3576205,00.html

WASHINGTON - Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Thursday that she will
continue to push for a peace deal with the Palestinians this year, despite
the uncertainty of the domestic political situation.

In her first public appearance since Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced
that he would step down after the Kadima primaries, the party premiership
candidate said she had been striving to reach an agreement with the
Palestinians this year. "We continue to do so," she said.

I am here as the foreign minister of the Israeli government and I can assure
you that I plan to represent the State of Israel's interests in the future
as well, Livni said.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in
New York, the foreign minister said that the internal political procedures
in Israel did not change the security problems or the need to work for
kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit's return.

All candidates are committed to the same interests of the State of Israel,
she said.

"Moreover," she added, "I believe that the internal division we are used to,
and the thought that there are extreme differences in agendas and ideologies
between the various parties, is an issue of the past and is no longer true.

"There is a common agenda which can be represented by any party, both in
terms of the diplomatic issues and in terms of the ability to deal with the
threats."

The foreign minister also conveyed a message to all Israeli parties, in an
attempt to create an atmosphere of stability and prevent the need for
general elections. She said all parties should unite behind the agenda of
Israeli security and the peace process.

"I will continue to call any party that can be a partner to this agenda to
put aside all these internal calculations and create unity inwards and
outwards," she said, adding that all parties' main goal was "to restore the
public's trust in Israeli politics."

In her meeting with the UN chief, Livni and Ban discussed the Iranian
threat, Hizbullah's activity in Lebanon and Hamas' activity in Gaza, as well
as the efforts to secure Shalit's release.

Reuters and AP contributed to this report