Jerusalem  - Arab Israeli lawmakers reacted with outrage Friday to remarks by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, in which she said the "national solution" for Israel's Arab citizens would be a future Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

"These (things) have been said before, but this time it is more severe because they are said by a candidate for the premiership," Ahmed Tibi, of the United Arab List
(UAL) which has four mandates in the 120-seat Knesset, told Israel Radio.

Calling the remarks "painful," he accused Livni of pandering to right-wing voters.

Livni told high-school pupils in Tel Aviv Thursday: "My solution for preserving Israel as a Jewish and a democratic state is to establish two nation states with certain concessions and with clear red lines."

"So among others I could also come to Israel's Palestinian citizens, those whom we call Arab Israelis, and tell them: 'Your national solution is somewhere else'."

The idea of moving Israel's Arab citizens or the areas in which they live to a future Palestinian state is regarded as highly controversial in Israel.

So far, such views have been advocated by outspoken right-wing and hardline politicians, most notably Avigdor Lieberman of the ultra-nationalist Israel Our Home party.

Livni is in a neck-and-neck race with Benjamin Netanyahu of the hardline Likud party to win the upcoming February 10 elections. Netanyahu has in recent weeks obtained a lead in opinion polls over Livni's Kadima party.

Over the past few weeks, she has expressed markedly hardline positions, including speaking out against the Gaza truce.

Israel's Arab citizens make up 20 per cent of the country's population of 7.3 million. (dpa)