Hizbullah Slams Livni for Comments on Transfer of 1948-Palestinians"

Source: English.hizbollah.tv, 13-12-2008

Lebanese resistance group Hizbullah accused "Israeli" occupation Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Saturday of wanting to expel 1948-Palestinians (Arab "Israelis") after saying their national aspirations lay outside the Zionist entity.

"It is not at all surprising that an "Israeli" official would hold this position, for the Zionist plan is essentially based on expelling an entire population from its land," a Hizbullah statement said.

"We point out these comments to the international community, which continues to ignore the racist reality of the Zionist entity."

"At the same time, we call both the Islamic and Arab worlds to take effective steps to safeguard the Palestinian people in its land, right to return."

"Also, we call all the Palestinian forces to be aware of the Zionist project's dangers and to exert efforts to adopt the resistance as an only path to regain all rights."

"What the enemy could not achieve by firepower will not be available by the electoral and political bazaar."

"As long as blood continues to flow in the veins of the resistance, all of Palestine will remain Palestinian," it concluded.

On Thursday, Livni said "my solution for maintaining a Jewish and democratic state of 'Israel' is to have two distinct national entities."
Once a Palestinian state is established, she said she would "be able to approach the Palestinian residents of 'Israel', those whom we call Arab 'Israelis', and tell them: 'your national aspirations lie elsewhere.'"

Her remarks drew an angry rebuttal from Arab "Israeli" MP Ahmed Tibi and from the Palestinian Authority of president Mahmud Abbas, and she tempered them the following day.

"She must decide whether she means to leave a million Arabs without political rights or a national identity, or whether she really intends to transfer a million Arab citizens to the Palestinian state that will be established," Tibi said.

On Friday, Livni repeated her assertion that "the national aspirations (of the Arabs) should be realized elsewhere," but added that "there is no question of carrying out a transfer or forcing them to leave."

"I am willing to give up a part of the country over which I believe we have rights so that 'Israel' will remain a Jewish and democratic state in which citizens have equal rights, whatever their religion," she said in reference to the creation of a Palestinian state.