Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday scolded opposition leader Tzipi Livni in a telephone call about her meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday.
Netanyahu called Livni, telling her that "if the Palestinians want to negotiate, the only way to do so is with the elected government of Israel," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
Kadima subsequently released a statement on the telephone call, reporting that Livni told Netanyahu that "Israel's security and its ability to defend itself obligates you to immediately enter into serious negotiations supported by the world instead of causing Israel's isolation."
Livni added: "I will not negotiate in the government's place, but I will attempt to extricate Israel from its international isolation and I will work to increase its legitimacy to act militarily against terror and to strengthen the moderate camp in the Middle East - the camp that is dissipating during this government's tenure."
Netanyahu had invited Livni to meet with him on Thursday evening in order to receive an update about her meeting with Abbas. Israel Radio reported that he canceled the meeting immediately after they broadcast that it had been set. The telephone call between the rivals and their subsequent dueling statements followed shortly after.
The prime minister said that he canceled the meeting due to scheduling constraints and it would be rescheduled in the coming days, according to Israel Radio.
Livni stated at her Wednesday press conference following the meeting with Abbas that she had updated Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman about the parley.
Israeli daily Israel Hayom reported Thursday that Livni called from Amman a few minutes before the meeting with Abbas, which the prime minister did not see as a proper method of coordinating the diplomatic initiative with the government.
In July of 2010, Livni met with former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qurei at Jerusalem’s King David Hotel ahead of a conference at which both were speakers.
Livni, a former foreign minister, had refrained from meeting with Palestinian officials since Netanyahu formed his government because she had not wanted to be seen as undermining his diplomatic efforts.
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