Will Tzipi Livni Opt for Peace?

Will Tzipi Livni Opt for Peace?

By CLAUDE SALHANI (Editor, Middle East Times)
Published: September 23, 2008

Should Israel's charismatic Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni manage to surmount the odds and succeed within the next 40 days to form a government she will become the next prime minister of the state of Israel.

Livni will also become the second woman in the short history of modern-day Israel to be named prime minister.

Israel's first female prime minister, Golda Meir, held the office from 1969 to 1974. During her tenure she governed the country through a major war against Syria and Egypt -- the 1973 October War, or as it is known in Israel, the Yom Kippur War.

Although she was no longer prime minister, Golda Meir lived long enough to be among the VIPs present at Ben Gurion Airport when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat made his historic voyage to Jerusalem to address the Knesset.

What are the chances of history repeating itself with Israel having its second female prime minister? Could there be a new war in the cards for Israel? Or is Livni more likely to follow the trail of peace?

The current belief among numerous Middle East observers is that Livni will be willing to move forward with the stagnating peace process with the Palestinians, and that she is in favor of a two-state solution. As a matter of fact, Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, wasted no time congratulating Livni on her victory.

Livni also has indicated that she would be in favor of re-launching peace talks with Syria. However, the reality of a breakthrough remains extremely vague.

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