RAMALLAH: In a recent interview with Yair Lapid, the head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, Lapid talks about his views on the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process. “Israelis convinced themselves that there is no use in talking to the Palestinians because they're not to be trusted. I think they're wrong. I think the Palestinians are not to be trusted and this exactly why we should talk to them. Because you make peace with foes not with friends," Lapid tells Time magazine's Karl Vick. Concerning the sincerity of this statement, Lapid says “You know my father didn't come here from the ghetto in order to live in a country that is half Arab, half Jewish. He came here to live in a Jewish state. And we have 3.3 million Palestinians now between the sea and the eastern border of Israel. If we don't do something about it, her generation [nods toward a 15-year-old girl at the table] is going to spend her time with six or seven or eight million Palestinians." Excerpts from the interview can be read here. Yesh Atid came in second place in Israel's recent general elections. The process of coalition building begins after Israeli President Simon Peres approves the appointment of Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister. Formerly a television broadcaster, Lapid was already a household name in Israel. He ran on a platform of moderation and did surprisingly well. Yesh Atid is expected to join a Netanyahu-led coalition. BN
