On Friday, I related a memory of Shimon Peres, in 2009. He was then president of Israel and 85 years old. He gave just about the most stirring public performance I have ever seen — defending his country’s response to Hamas. Defending his country’s right to self-defense, so to speak.
I would like to relate another memory — of Tzipi Livni, in 2008. She was foreign minister of Israel and about 50 years old. Like Peres, she was at a meeting of the World Economic Forum, but this one was not in Davos, but rather in Sharm El Sheik. I wrote a journal, of which this was the relevant part.
Let me do some (lengthy) quoting:
She is bright, canny, and exceptionally composed. . . .
Some people harangue her, some people shout at her. She just sits calmly, looking them in the face, and occasionally taking notes. She shows remarkable sympathy and compassion, in addition to cool. . . .
I will give a taste of her remarks. She is asked, “Sure, Israel has celebrated its 60th anniversary, but what about the Palestinians? They have nothing to celebrate, do they?” She says — and I paraphrase — They could have. Before 1947, there was great conflict between Jews and Arabs in the Holy Land. So the United Nations mandated two independent states: a Jewish one and an Arab one, side by side. Many people think that the creation of Israel led to the current conflict. But this conflict existed before. The idea was to end it by creating two different states, in answer to two different national aspirations.
But the Arabs, unfortunately, did not accept partition. They did not accept their state. They decided they needed to make war against the Jews, to eliminate them. They call the creation of Israel the “naqba,” the disaster. And yes, these six decades have been a disaster for them. But they could be celebrating the 60th anniversary of their state, right along with us.
Yet I am not suggesting that it is too late — it is certainly not too late. They can have their state now. And that is the purpose of our ongoing negotiations.
Livni is also asked about Gaza, and the intense hatred of Gazans — and others — for Israel. What is Israel going to do about that?
Until 2005, the excuse was, “We hate Israel because they are occupying us.” So we took the step of pulling out. We dismantled our settlements, and went back to the line of 1967. Now, you may not like the settlers. But they are human beings. Most of them were born there. And, believe you me, it wasn’t easy to uproot these people and drag them off. But we did it, for the sake of peace. And Gaza could have been the beginning of the new Palestinian state. But no.
In any case, those looking for excuses for hatred will always find them.
More Livni:
When Hamas won election, they took over the Gaza Strip by force. And now Gaza is an impediment to a true Palestinian state. No one wants another terror state in the region. Hamas is a movement based on hatred, on an extremist ideology, and they deny Israel’s right to exist. That is not a movement to live in peace beside.
The foreign minister is asked, “But aren’t you choking Gaza to death?” Part of her response: When Israelis went to supply fuel to Gaza, two of them were killed, by Palestinian extremists.
And I tell you: Do not think that Arab questioners are the ones most hostile to Livni. This prize may well go to Americans and Brits, who harangue her about Israeli seizure of “Palestinian lands.” How amazing it would be to see an Egyptian official, or a Palestinian official, or a Syrian or Iranian official, treated so toughly, at one of these forums.
The crowd, the environment, was very hostile. And, as I said in my journal, Tzipi Livni gave one of the best Daniel-in-the-lions’-den performances I have ever witnessed.
Today, as before, Israel needs the best spokesmen possible, to explain itself to the broad world. You will not be able to reach or reason with everyone. There are anti-Israel die-hards. But you can reach or reason with many. I have seen it. Felt it.