Israeli minister says goal is to achieve peace

JERUSALEM, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said Thursday her goal is to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reach a final status agreement.

"My goal is an agreement that will end the conflict and all claims for both sides. I have never used the term 'interim agreement,'" Livni told The Jerusalem Post.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appointed Livni to head Israel's negotiating team in peace talks with the Palestinians. Earlier this year, under President Barack Obama's instructions, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry laid out a nine month negotiating process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Livni denied recent accusations by some Israeli government officials she is working on achieving an interim agreement with the Palestinian Authority that will lead to a Palestinian state in temporary borders.

A partial agreement will not work with the negotiating tactics used by both sides in the current talks, she said.

"These tactics maintain our interests in the negotiating room," she said.

"If there wasn't hope of achieving peace, I wouldn't be doing this," she said. "I don't want to raise false expectations. There has been a lack of confidence in the diplomatic process for years. Having low expectations can be advantageous. But I see we are generating hope and people are crossing their fingers for us."