Tzipi Livni overseeing Israel's diplomatic relations with the United States and Europe, with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman playing a lesser role. Livni led the Israeli negotiation team in the peace talks, brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Middle East envoy Martin Indyk from July 2013 until April 2014. Upon announcing the resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinians at a press conference delivered at the U.S. State Department, Livni criticized the "cynicism and pessimism" surrounding Israeli–Palestinian peace process, and expressed hope that the negotiators would do everything in their power to transform a "spark of hope into something
Ehud Olmert preserve its unity and ability to lead." Defense minister and Labor party leader Ehud Barak called Olmert's announcement "a proper and responsible decision made at the right time". Opposition leaders called for the resignation to be followed by general elections. The Likud party leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, called for snap elections: "It doesn't matter who heads Kadima. They are all partners in this government's total failure. National responsibility requires a return to the people and new elections." After Tzipi Livni won the leadership election, Olmert officially resigned but remained prime minister, according to the dictates of the law. Even after an