Opposition leader Yacimovich tells Netanyahu she is supportive of peace initiative. "We are ready to be your safety net."
By AMISHAI GOTTLIEBLabor leader Shelly Yachimovich 521(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM / THE JERUSALEM POST)
Opposition leader Shelly Yacimovich called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to push forward with the stalled peace process during a cultural event in Ness Ziona on Saturday.“Move this forward. We will add wind to your sails. Push forward with bravery.We are ready to be your safety net,” said Yacimovich, referring to the Labor Party that she heads.Yacimovich’s comments come after a special Knesset meeting took place on Thursday during which Netanyahu discussed the Arab League Peace Initiative.“We are in favor of immediate negotiations without preconditions,” the prime minister said, before asking Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to “give peace a chance.”While Yacimovich admitted on Saturday that the PA is not the ideal partner for peace, “[Abbas] looks like the best partner that we will have in the near future,” she said.“I have told Netanyahu more than once – every time you take action to move forward with the peace process, we won’t act as an opposition, we will vote for you from the opposition benches,” she declared.The opposition leader described the Arab League Peace Initiative as an opportunity to create much needed stability to face the threats of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah.“We need to extend our hand [to the Palestinians], not for them – but for us,” Yacimovich said.
