Former Israeli Foreign Minister on Netanyahu’s Political Future: ‘Too Early to Say’

Appearing Monday on CNN, former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni judged it is “too early to say” former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political career is over after the country’s longest-serving prime minister lost his position on Sunday.

Former Israeli Foreign Minister @Tzipi_Livni thinks it is "too early to say" if Benjamin Netanyahu's political career is over.

"Maybe this will be a lesson that instead of attacking your political rival, maybe it is time to listen. But I'm not that optimistic." pic.twitter.com/3iprOmqDoD

— Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) June 14, 2021

A transcript is as follows: 

CHRISTIANNE AMANPOUR: Netanyahu is the longest serving Israeli prime minister. He’s been front and center, and the politics and the ground there has taken on his shape and vision. Is it goodbye, is he going to be difficult in opposition? Do you think he’s planning to come back? How do you assess his long term political future?

TZIPI LIVNI: I think it’s too early to know. It is true that in the last four years it was a mix of his personality traits, the fact that he was under indictment, and he had to take care of his own personal issues instead of taking care of what Israel needs. I don’t know what he will decide to do.

“Frankly, I am focused on the new government and I hope that he will understand that the idea of just blaming the other, acting against Israel’s democracy or having the dialogue in this violent manner didn’t help him politically,” Livni concluded.