Who is she?:
The Israeli foreign minister. She is the second woman to hold this position; former prime minister Golda Meir was the first.
Birthdate:
July 8, 1958, in Tel Aviv. Her parents, Eitan and Sara Livni, were the first couple to get married in the Jewish state after it was established in 1948.
Personal life:
Married with two grown sons; husband is Naftali Spitzer, an accountant. Her older son serves in the military.
Political affiliation:
Originally a member of the Likud Party; in 2005, along with many other Israeli political figures, she joined the Kadima party coalition created by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Her father, Eitan, had served three terms in the Knesset as a Likud MP.
Career:
Formerly an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces and an operative in the Mossad, Livni has a law degree from Bar-Ilan University and practiced in the private sector for 10 years. In 1996, she became director general of the Government Companies Authority; in 1999, she won a seat in the Knesset. She was appointed vice prime minister and foreign affairs minister in 2006. Livni was also Minister of Justice from November 2006 until February 2007.
Future:
Livni's name is often mentioned as a possible prime minister -- which means that, again, she'd follow in the footsteps of Golda Meir.
Quote:
"Controlling another people is not our desire, our interest or our policy. On the contrary: We want the Palestinian people to have a viable, secure and prosperous existence in a state of their own. This is not just a Palestinian aspiration - it is an Israeli interest, as long as it doesn't put Israel in danger." -- March 2008, in an address to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
