Israel’s Tzipi Livni says Israel must yield to US proposal to extend settlement freeze by two months, blames PM for hurting Israel.

Israel’s opposition leader Tzipi Livni said on Friday that Israel must yield to the US proposal to extend its recently expired settlement building freeze by two months, blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government for weakening Israel's security and world standing.

Referring to the reported American offer, Livni asked: Why not comply with the demand to extend the freeze by two months? So certain people can hold on to their seats in the coalition, who would have stayed there anyway? Does that compare to our strategic relationship with the U.S.?

According to Livni, Israel needs to stop defining itself by the threats surrounding it, and start promoting a vision. “We don't have to be united by threats - that is not a common factor.”

Livni continued its attack on Netanyahu's cabinet, saying his "rightist government has been outspoken, pounding on the table, but Israel is weaker for it."

"The government talks tough but Israel's interests are being damaged. They spoke of security, and damaged security. We can't rally the world by constantly saying no. We need to say 'Yes' from time to time too," Livni said.

The opposition leader also spoke of the possibility of her party, Kadima, entering into the coalition in order to advance Israel's peace drive, saying that Israel wished to enter talks under "conditions much worse than before."

"I've told the prime minister in the past, and have also told the public, that a completely different government needs to be formed, a Likud-Kadima government, one which would do the right thing in both domestic and foreign matters," Livni said, adding, however, that "the prime minister chose differently, and this is his choice."