| Tzipi Livni Expresses Support for Israel's Human Rights Organizations |
| Written by Ruby Ong |
|
Tzipi Livni (left) meets in the Knesset with NIF President Naomi Chazan (center) and NIF board member Brian Lurie (right). One of the highlights of NIF's Board of Directors meeting in Jerusalem earlier this month was a special meeting in the Knesset with opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni of the Kadima party. Livni, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, strongly condemned right-wing attempts to restrict the activities of Israel's human rights organizations. She said, "Israel is strong enough to conduct a dialogue without passing anti-democratic laws. The problem is not those organizations that are interested in the good of Israel and criticize it out of love for Israel, even if there are differences of opinion." She added, "Equal rights even for the minority within us is not a favor that Israel does anybody, but rather a part of our democratic and Jewish values." NIF President Naomi Chazan said, "We are happy about Tzipi Livni's commitment to the future of Israeli democracy at a time when civil society is being attacked by populists in the Knesset who are trampling the basic values of democracy. It is important that the key people in the political system defend the right of Israel's civil society to exist with all the tools at their disposal." |
