Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely
Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi HotovelyNissim Lev

Deputy Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) said Wednesday that Likud is suffering from what she called “schizophrenia” in its policy vis-a-vis the Palestinian Authority (PA). 

In a meeting with Likud youth organizations, Hotovely said: “The present diplomatic process is moving toward a very dangerous situation of an interim accord. Giving up on solving the core issues and a move toward an interim accord gives the Palestinians a state with international recognition, with borders, without us receiving anything in return.

"A terror state that does not recognize Israel will be established inside Israel. Regardless of whether or not Jewish communities are uprooted, this is a grave decision in which Israel is ceding its land and its sovereignty.”

"Likud is suffering from schizophrenia around Netanyahu's Bar Ilan speech,” she said. “Besides the two-state solution, there is a portion of the movement that supports contuing the status quo vis-a-vis the Palestinians. In addition, there are elements within Likud, including myself, who understand that we cannot continue and leave the current situation as it is, and we must not implement the two state solution, but rather, we must carry out a process of annexing Judea and Samaria.”

The more staunchly nationalist members of Likud have been following Minister Tzipi Livni's talks with the PA with concern. These members are afraid that Livni is advancing an interim accord while making far reaching promises to the PA. The great fear is that Livni will create an interim accord that will be presented as a “done deal,” and attempts to change it will face great difficulty, inside Israel and outside it.