Bennett Goads Livni Over Paris Terror Attack

The terror attack in Paris on Wednesday drew condemnations from around the world, but in Israel it provided an opening for Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett to take a swipe at political rival former Justice Minister Tzipi Livni.

Speaking at an event in Rishon Letzion, Livni branded the attack as one on the entire free world, including Israel.

“We do not talk or reconcile with terrorism, we fight an uncompromising all-out war against it, here, in France or anywhere else in the world,” she said.

Speaking at the same event, Bennett mocked Livni, until recently the chief Israeli negotiator with the Palestinians and a leading dove.

She “talked about the occupation and diplomatic isolation, and I wondered why she didn’t get on a plane to Paris to solve their problems? Maybe she can run their negotiations, offer them a diplomatic horizon, tell them there’s a solution.

“Offer them to stop the occupation for peace, tell them to apologize for the caricature; that always works,” Bennett suggested sarcastically to Livni. “Tell them that you make peace with your enemies, that they have a partner. Maybe they can divide Paris and give it to Muslim fundamentalists.”

Avraham Azoulay, a Jewish Home primary candidate and publisher of the French-language weekly in Israel Le Petit Hebdo, called France’s vote for the Palestinians’ recent U.N. Security Council statehood resolution a surrender to terrorism.

French lawmaker Meir Habib, who lives in Israel and France and holds the parliamentary seat representing French citizens living abroad, said the attack was “the worst France has ever seen.”

“For months, I have been warning that Jihad is spreading in Europe and France. Unfortunately, people always close their eyes. When there were calls of ‘death to the Jews’ in the heart of Paris, people blamed Israel. Today, everyone sees the writing on the wall,” he stated.

This article appeared in print on page 8 of the January 8th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.