'Palestinian refugees are used as bargaining chips by their leaders'
“Refugee status is inherited, and the issue makes it difficult to solve the conflict. They’re waiting for a solution that will never be,” says Livni.
By LAHAV HARKOVUpdated: MARCH 13, 2016 07:13MK TZIPI LIVNI sits with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev at the Global Baku Forum in Azerbaijan two days ago.(photo credit: Courtesy)
Europe should see the Palestinian refugees as an example of what not to do in its current refugee crisis, MK Tzipi Livni said at the Global Baku Forum in Azerbaijan on Friday.Speaking at the international conference on security matters, Livni (Zionist Union) compared the absorption of Jewish refugees from Arab states to the situation of Palestinian refugees, saying that the latter are “used as bargaining chips” by their own leaders.“Refugee status is inherited, and the issue makes it difficult to solve the conflict. They’re waiting for a solution that will never be,” she stated.The world can only learn from Palestinian refugees how to create a problem, Livni added, emphasizing that they are the only refugee population in the world in which the status is conferred to later generations.Former Lebanese prime minister Fuad Seniora, who held his post during the Second Lebanon War, when Livni was foreign minister, was present at the conference.Livni said that in Lebanon, Hezbollah, a terrorist organization, took advantage of democratic elections to attain more power, which hurt Lebanon.“The world needs to set a universal democratic code that will prevent organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah from taking power,” Livni stated. “If there is a strong universal democratic code, that says who can participate in elections, it would have prevented Hamas from ruling [Gaza] and using terrorism to attain its goals.”Such a code, she added, should be used in Syria.Livni also praised the Gulf States’ decision last week to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization.The Zionist Union MK also met with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, and discussed how Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel can set an example for other Muslim countries.