In an address to the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni made reference to the Bible, the festival of Sukkot and democracy. She also warned against appeasing those she called "extremists."

Opening with a reminder of the Jewish historical link to the Land of Israel, Foreign Minister Livni said...

Opening with a reminder of the Jewish historical link to the Land of Israel, Foreign Minister Livni said, "Three thousand years ago, the people of Israel journeyed from slavery in Egypt to independence in the land of Israel. The Bible tells us that on their voyage to liberty they made a crucial stop: the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. As the General Assembly gathers this year, the Jewish people recall that historic journey by marking the festival of Sukkot."

Livni then linked the Sukkot holiday to general democratic values: "And every year, at this time, our people remember that the long march to freedom requires the acceptance of humanity’s basic values. For sixty years, since the rebirth of our State in our ancient homeland, with Jerusalem at its heart, we have not lost sight of this principle. The core values of tolerance, co-existence and peace that lie at the heart of every democracy must be protected within societies and promoted between them. This is the calling of our generation."

With this Biblical interpretation, she framed the Israeli conflict with its neighbors as fomented by "those who reject these core values - those who seek power without responsibility; those whose aim is not to realize their own rights, but to deny those rights for others. At its heart, this is a conflict not about territory, but about values."

As such, Livni told the assembled national representatives, the conflict is not a local one. While "Israel may be on the front lines," she said, the idea that it was a fight limited to the Middle East "collapsed in this city with the twin towers on a September morning six years ago."

Fighting Democracy

"Democracy is a profound ideal, but it is also a vulnerable one," Foreign Minister Livni warned. "Today, in different parts of the world, extremists - opposed to the very ideals of democracy - are entering the democratic process not to abandon their violent agenda but to advance it." 

In addition, Livni said, without naming nations, "There are some who insist on high standards in their own country, but forget them when they look abroad. Violent extremists who could never run for office at home are treated as legitimate politicians when elected elsewhere. As a result, we empower those who use democratic means to advance anti-democratic ends. And we strengthen the forces of those who not only undermine their societies, but threaten our own." She then quoted an Al-Qaeda spokesman as saying, "We will use your democracy to destroy your democracy."

Livni told the assembled national representatives [that] the conflict is not a local one.

The Foreign Minister called for universal, international standards of democracy and warned against dealing with totalitarian regimes. Again without explicitly mentioning a single country, Livni said:

"I know that the temptation to engage with extremists can be strong. It may seem to promise stability and quiet. We may hope that by feeding the beast we can gradually tame it. As free societies, we pride ourselves - rightly - on our respect for difference and diversity. But we do a disservice to diversity when, in its name, we tolerate the intolerant. Bitter experience has shown that buying off extremists is a short-term fix – for which we will pay dearly in the long run."

The Israeli Arena

Turning more specifically to the Israeli arena, Foreign Minister Livni made clear the distinction the Israeli government has made between "groups such as Hamas and Hizbullah" and "the new Palestinian government, committed to co-existence and seeking to build the foundations of a peaceful and prosperous State," as she put it.

As for the former, and for Iran, Livni called upon the international community to present them with "a clear choice - between the path of violence and the path of legitimacy. They cannot have both."

Regarding the Iranian threat, Livni said, "There are still those who, in the name of consensus and engagement, continue to obstruct the urgent steps which are needed to bring Iran's sinister ambitions to a halt. Too many see the danger but walk idly by – hoping that someone else will take care of it. What is the value, we have to ask, of an organization which is unable to take effective action in the face of a direct assault on the very principles it was founded to protect? It is time for the United Nations, and the states of the world, to live up to their promise of never again. To say enough is enough, to act now and to defend their basic values."

As for the Hamas-controlled half of the Palestinian Authority,

Foreign Minister Livni made clear the distinction the Israeli government has made between "groups such as Hamas and Hizbullah" and "the new Palestinian government."

Livni noted how "we see children's television programs in which a Mickey Mouse puppet teaches the glory of being a suicide bomber and a seven year old girl sings of her dreams of blood and battle." She failed to note that such incitement has been a standard part of PA education under the Fatah, as well, ever since the inception of the Authority in 1994.

Reiterating the current Israeli government's position, Livni called for "two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security." She delineated two conditions for this vision to emerge: that the new state of "Palestine" will absorb any Arab refugees; and that "a secure Israel must be a Palestinian interest. The world cannot afford another terror state."

Concluding with another reference to the Sukkot holiday, the Foreign Minister said, "On this festival of Sukkot, Jews commemorate the journey from slavery to freedom by leaving their homes to live in fragile huts, like the shelters our ancestors lived in on their way to the Promised Land. For three thousand years these temporary huts - open to the elements - have been a reminder that stability and security are ensured not only by the structures that we build but also by the values that we share. Perhaps it is for this reason that the Sukkah, this fragile shelter, has become the Jewish symbol of peace."

She then quoted in Hebrew from the Jewish prayer book, saying, "As we turn to Jerusalem and say in our prayers every day: 'Spread over us the tabernacle of your peace....' May it be in our days, and for all nations. Amen."