Israel is ignoring the Palestinian conflict in its election campaign

TZIPI LIVNI says right-wing politicians are leading Israel to a binational future without a Jewish majority or democracy, while the Centre-Left is too afraid to speak out as they seek a broad coalition.

Those who believes in the vision of a Jewish, democratic, and safe state in Israel, understand that in order to see this through we must maintain a Jewish majority, and for that we need to disengage from the Palestinians. 

Our partners on the other side, although critical to any agreement, must not pervert our vision. We will be doomed if we allow Palestinian weakness or refusal to compromise, to do so.

Unfortunately, this seems to be exactly what is happening. The Palestinians’ behaviour causes despair among the Centre-Left, while on the religious nationalist right, their positions are used to justify an agenda of annexation, which can only further distance any hope for a future agreement. 

Any hope that a newly elected prime minister will see what some of his or her predecessors had seen and apply policies that would benefit the future of the country, are unrealistic. The effort to avoid disputes within the political camps and the need for a broad unity coalition in order to sustain a government, is being used to promote the opposite. 

Those on the right who push for nationalism, Jewish superiority and hate, are gaining strength. while the attack on Israel's institutions of law increase and will ensure democracy is weakened further. 

Laws are already being changed and historic reality erased as demonstrated when the Education Ministry refused to allow the use of maps that show the Green Line - the borders of the eve of the 1967 Six Day War. 

This is how the narrative is set and it will certainly lead to our demise as a Jewish democratic state. 

This process must stop now, before it is too late. Let us at least begin to honestly discuss the future.