There is also an economic bearing on the israeli economy. And ask ato step back basic question. Why is israel moving forward towards elections right now . Can anyone explain what happened . They have it the situation of ake a some sort theater act whereby each side for aat the other side situation in which they could not move on together. I think part of it has to do with the ill decisions of Benjamin Netanyahu who decided he could pull this one again. If you ask me, the israeli public will be faced with a to have, isnt willing a another term of Benjamin Netanyahu. It will be the key question in the selection in addition to all of the important issues which you have discussed. Following,lect the well israel skid dangerously into the coming into more extreme statement in its behavioral mode as a government. Into theorrect itself thepositioned policies that to go together visione original and mint of zionism. Understanding regional situations, trying to move towards peace and social justice and alignment with the United States, economic recovery, and most importantly, strengthening our economic development. Webinar Foreign Policy security question. Current you rank the threat from iran . The Iranian Nuclear program particularly to israel . The mostlieve that is important thread . It is definitely an important threat. It has to be done with. May i say the following . I think the negotiation process is important. I think the United States and its allies should get the best deal possible. We should enable it to get the best in a possible. But we should not will read anything off the table until we see that dealer. Next day and trust in Obama Administration to get a good deal . I trust the Obama Administration to get a good deal. Most importantly, the fact that on a breakoutee time that will give ample warning to everybody if the iranians believe they want to agreement and move towards the bomb. I think the professionals have to work on it. Give it a chance. Nevertheless, we should not be naive. We live in a dangerous and complicated world and region. Complications of the Iranian Regime are glad to us. We should not be naive to believe him as well. There should be strict supervision. Very strict monitoring and deciphering of whatever it is going on in relation to that program. If you had been Prime Minister this past summer, how do you have handled the hamas threat . First and for most, we should have a combination of diplomacy. When you entered that crisis with Less International credit in our hands. To a situation whereby within the secondly, the International Community started already showing shortsightedness in terms of what is going on in gaza, because the pictures that came in at of gaza had a bearing and and influence. One has to see heavily deteriorated into that conflict and make sure we do not deteriorate into that again. We need a strong Regional Coalition that brings in the authority to gaza to give hope to the people of gaza and opens up gaza under strict supervision and moves on as a basis for a process with the palestinians. The Palestinian Authority is a fairly weak and corrupt body. Palestinians are divided into two warring factions. You seem to have more faith than the average is really. Lets be frank about it, we judge everybody elses political systems. I am not judgmental. If i have to make a decision between, us and the Palestinian Authority, i believe in working with the Palestinian Authority it is feasible. Look at the summer. Lets put it in perspective. Following the abduction of the three boys, which was a huge tragedy for the israelis and for everybody, the Palestinians Authority functioned properly. The coordinated with us efforts to find their whereabouts. They handled the situation in calming it down despite the fact that what many Israeli Operations on the ground. They gave protect of edge in the summer in gaza. To turn them as so far they have survived for five israeli Prime Ministers to the best of my recollection. There you worried about future of israeli democracy . I am worried about the direction which israel late democracy and society is moving into if we do not correct it. That will be event question of the distinguished representative from the right. In a deal that the world will accept unilateral steps of israel in this direction. He does not answer the question of what will you do with 100,000 palestinian citizens who will become israelis. The palestinians who grew up under israeli sovereignty. Does that mean we will include another 100,000 who have no loyalty to the state of israel in the sense that they will not be a part of israel but part of occupation . There is no other choice. Despite all the fears, we will have to get over those fears. You have to try again. Otherwise, the direction the Israeli Society is moving into could be bleak. Undercurrentsbout that are trying to limit, curtail, the beautiful gift of israeli democracy. The fact that in our parliament there is such a range of views, ofs free speech laid down by our supreme court. I do whatever i can with my colleagues to protect it. There are endless efforts. The minister of justice was trying to blog every week another piece of legislation which from the outside, for those with liberal understanding of what democracy is all about, seems incomprehensible. Israel is quite obviously a jewish state. What is so bad about passing a law that says israel is a jewish state . I will explain the following. I set it on the floor of parliament when i debated last week. I said that when it comes to the deal with the palestinians, in the final state moments, i think it is correct to say that both states are nationstates. Palestine will be the nationstate of the Palestinian People and israel the nationstate of the jewish people as it is derived from the november 47 u. N. Plan of resolution. But this has nothing to do with israel. Citizens must blow they are equal. Not only to said, but they must feel it. Treadsforward with this undertones, makes the feeling that to somebody will be preferred over the other. The way the majority treats the minority is essential to the wellbeing of our society. The community in israel is denominations. L fascinating community, like all communities in israel. Many of them want to be part of inclusiveness and the israeli public life. Who want to beny secessionists. Our duty is to be inclusive of who want to protect the wellbeing of the state. And to make anybody feel, in any form or manner, that he is not that common is not only a huge against the basic inherent declaration of independence of the state of israel which is our magna carter. But i am hearing is it would be impossible for you to enter a say, with lieberman, who is just proposed a triangle peacee sliced off in a deal. And the arabs of their land transferred. Those are Israeli Citizens. So tonight. Always , especially on shabbos. Again, the coalition is formed on what is agreed on the agreedupon policy. If there will be a possibility of having agreedupon guidelines. I will repeat. It has nothing to do with the nationality of people per se. The nationality, per se, came out of many ideas that were define theound to road nature of israel. That nature has been defined in our declaration of independence. The greatness of our Founding Fathers is that they did not like to talk too much. They simply came forward with the declaration of independence and then they built a nation. He did not argue about once endlessly that can hurt. Religious,nce of interreligious flaring up in all other issues of state is a whole and this mistake to deal with it and to open and unleash all of these genies out of the bottle. Do it. Are you saying the idea of transferring arab villages made up of Israeli Citizens is not on the table . It is not on the table. Unconstitutional. Not feasible at all. Let us forget it. Lets put it on the record. It wont work. General, i invite each and every one of you to understand what you see from the outside is not exactly what you did. You have all groups with different views of life and there are many, many arabs who parties,ded in the big included in my party, and they share an agreement of living together in peace. When i go to an emergency room to say the subjects life, and i , aed the mother and father jewish family, who saved her sons life . They showed me a doctor who treated the sudden saved his life. One of the best surgeons in the country. What have to put everything in perspective. Ex will go to questions in a minute. And i want to ask one other thing. Problems,l have pr where does israel have problems . Both. I do not wear well the fact that , however i doed biblicalve in the proverb of people that to dwell on alone. In this day and age, we cannot dwell alone. We have to have connections and cooperate. Our economy boosts into internal strength. We cannot go on saying to everybody, crying out loud, rio the ones who are besieged. We have our problems. To around lot of hate the world. There is a lot of cynical undertones. That has nothing to do with the fact that we have problems. We have to present era policies correctly. You have to change our policies correctly. I compared to israel to midsize ship in stony waters in high seas that has to maneuver in the estonian rodders correct way. A situation where we find anyelves ordered without ability to maneuver. That is our problem. A question, back to and want to get you on record as much as possible. I asked moten that this question that the summer about the piece process. To think of that as starting 20 years ago with oslo. Palestinians, with representatives before there was a nationality and organization, have had for five opportunities over the last 80 years, starting with the appeal before 37 to have a state, each time it has gotten worse from a territorial standpoint. Is a question that plays the left in israel, after 80 years of being rejected, of having the division of the land by the palestinians or other representatives, i want them back to this. What moshe think of this now, and fairly and is precious time, but makes you think now is the time to try to move towards a twostate resolution . Process. Been a long you are ignoring oslo and the of 1968. Rocess it is a totally different ballgame and over again. Today there is an intense interface. Is that within the palestinian and israeli camp, the people are losing faith in the possibility of separating and coming to the twostate solution. It is nor in 1994. There is a huge majority for road and both peoples. Unfortunately, on both sides, it led to the fact that we got into a stumbling blocks with no possibility of moving forward and then well repeated a time and again. It is the easiest thing, to tread on the psychology of fear. My adversaries in the political system, especially from the right, tread on fear. I am trying to challenge that and say we cannot live on fear. We have to be lucid. You have to be careful. We have to be protective. We must talk. It cannot be that the mothers in the fatherson lever side to not want peace. Why would anyone over the age of 35 with children commit suicide . And such are the people they are working with all their life in a synagogue . Have to understand what comes from and make an effort and not say all the arab world and the muslims cannot make peace with us. We have to try. Word is that impulse to suddenly slaughter come from . It is against any moral, legal, or human values. It is shocking. Nonetheless, and you look at the picture, you must analyze. In order to naturalize these elements, we must bring hope. We cannot give up on that. Thank you very much for this conversation. Were going to open it up. [applause] thank you both. Thank you both for a great interview. Would likeople here to see a change in government. I am not going to express my opinion it so im going to shut up about that. However, when i look at the members and i count the numbers and i put the right on one side of the aisle and i put the left on the center of the other, and take up the arabs, it just cannot happen. Would you be willing to give us some numbers about how you think primen become the next minister . Because i say that you think people do not understand. Us take that of a microcosm of the analysis. First, the ultraorthodox community has shifted dramatically to the other direction. Wereutchered rabbis who praying. Front of 1000 people, the widows, and the first widow said, we have to think about the way we treat others. Just as an example, ok . Nobody picked up on it. Why get interested in those groups out there who we are striking them out. Absolutely wrong. Remember, the coalition. Of why just one example arele in all communities struggling with an inner debate of where to go. It is not a question of left or right. It is a question of where we go from here. Henry move in peace . That is why i believe a normal configuration. Player in the election. Assume, at least, he will not roll out any coalition. Definitely a centrist coalition. I say there will be a moment of moved to thatthey direction we skated into the abyss of a total deadlock and the rest of it is clear to us. So, no numbers . Ask there is no reason to write numbers right now. The beginning of the election. Those politicians, analysts, did know knowhow to start a elections, not end them. Two questions. Here is an idea that the founder of the labour party rights, statism. Is right, certain state sensibilities. No noeone who is no. [indiscernible] hit that israel emitter which is wanting that kind of labour party, which has approach . Of uniting of furnaces with centrist forces. Uniting our forces with centrist forces. We share values. I have respect. We all understand the inherent dangers that face israel, and we therefore must share together the ability to bring a change. You mentioned the social justice piece of this thing and how to 5 of israel come together. It is quite unique. But yet, netanyahu won the election after that. He is still ahead in the plans. Maybe youll come up because you will unite do you want to depress me . masking year is why hasnt been able to capitalize on blood is in its natural constituency, which is the socialist movement, and how has the right been more successful . Those of a National Commission meant a National Commission on that problem. Only one out of dozens of accommodations were argumentative. The truth of the matter is, and it was you enjoyed the fruit of that process. You did not join the netanyahu movement during the Peace Process because of your skepticism. I am asking you, it if netanyahu won the election, would you were owed ringing him in under going in under his leadership or bringing him in under your leadership . I am telling you were focused on winning the election. Without a respect, i do not mind inviting netanyahu to my government if he would accept the guidelines. At ministry but he get . I am trying to explain this to you. You have to understand. I am not hallucinating. It is not easy, it is complicated. Politics is a game of clear , there is enormous frustration with the israeli public in general and body politic in particular as to what is happening in israel. In thell be reflected election results. It is a bit of an uncomfortable subject in this room, but would you agree as sort of an old hand in israeli politics, that sometimes at election time the United States government tries to exert influence one way or the other. You might be the beneficiary this time if they did. Expert perhaps not true, perhaps the other way around. Expert ever you see from here is not what you see from there. Beware. From here . Our view what is your view from here . I think the United States is wise enough to know not what to do in an election process. You are talking about the elections in terms of being crucial for israel. I sort of think the direction of the results of that election is world. For the jewish and world where i see the Younger Generation finding it more difficult to connect. Your view ofed in what responsibility the israeli officials have . A valid point. The vehicle of the diaspora on young peopleat think is not reflected adequately in the israeli media at all or in the israeli discourse. What we see, is we see the main jewish leaders expressing support of israel. And you not see the grass roots. We do not see certain streams of disenchant it. Israel as the true homeland of our people, we have to work towards that. We have to foster and strengthen and taken into account in what we do as well. Absolutely. For example, i think the whole game of dealing with and touching temple mount was extremely dangerous and adverse to the basic interest of israel and the dsp. Ofleashed a very israel and the dsp. Diaspora. Palestinians where do this wild horse, and i think the ministers cannot do these steps without understanding their affects on synagogues all over the world. It is interesting to note that the rural sages of the time, the orthodox leaders of the time who werent against going into temporal mount. Mount. Ng the temple including my grandmother. Grandfather. Ask questions of that, the leaders of religious and ins them. There is a big debate in this country. Americanlieve young, jews are becoming disenchanted with israel because of israeli policies or are they growing distant from israel because they are growing distance from it being jewish . I am going to avoid answering that. That followrojects suit, like masala and others, they are incredibly important to to israelnew feeling and the young generation. The generation is the young generation, sometimes they do not know the cap picture. Sometimes they buy bottled up on their own social networks. Of broader andes tax and so forth, sometimes it is lost in the discourse. I think Young American jews are a challenge both for israel as well as for the organized jewish community. This includes the hillels and the others who are trying to bring them as a community into israel. My empathy. I have been interviewed a couple times by jeff kilburg, and you can see the