"The diplomatic stalemate does not bring us more security but rather endangers us," Gabbay said.
By GIL HOFFMANUpdated: JANUARY 16, 2019 05:12Labor Party Chair Avi Gabbay(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Labor leader Avi Gabbay continued the recent focus on the Palestinian issue ahead of the April 9 election, when he promised to speak to the Arab League about how to advance a regional approach to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Gabbay spoke at an event at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv hosted by Labor candidate Henrique Cymerman, who has taken Gabbay to multiple Arab countries in recent months.“The diplomatic stalemate does not bring us more security but rather endangers us,” Gabbay said.Gabbay said he favored separating from the Palestinians as part of a regional framework. He said it was wrong to talk exclusively to the Palestinians and that he would not follow in the footsteps of former prime ministers Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert.“The fruit of such an agreement would be secure lives for Israeli citizens, opportunities for socioeconmic cooperation, and true normalization with a significant amount of Arab and Muslim countries,” Gabbay said.He said this would boost the Israeli economy and help the periphery.Gabbay joined Center Left and centrist party leaders who have been speaking about how to solve the Israeli Palestinian conflict in recent days. Livni spoke Tuesday about the need for two demilitarized states.“We must say ‘No’ to dividing our capital, ‘No’ to the return of millions of Palestinian refugees, and ‘Yes’ to security staying in Israel’s hands,” Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said this week. We need a regional conference, making the Saudis and others as enablers of the process.”
