Newly-elected Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu convened Tuesday evening with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom for a meeting the two leaders defined as "excellent." Netanyahu and Shalom agreed to fully cooperate in an effort to win the national elections.
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The two are expected to meet again to discuss the Likud platform.
The new chairman plans to launch his premiership campaign by having the Likud quit the coalition.
Netanyahu's associates reported that his first move as party head would be to discuss the resignation of the Likud ministers from the government during the next faction meeting.
According to the sources, Netanyahu is waiting to hear the opinion of the other members on the subject.
The question of timing
Most Likud ministers agree that the party should leave the coalition, and are expected to fall in line with the new leader on this matter. Shalom is set to lose most from the anticipated step, which will force him to relinquish his prestigious post.
What remains open now is the question of timing: Elections for the party's Knesset list is scheduled for January 3, and the candidates would prefer to run in the elections as ministers. The resignation from parliament will therefore apparently not take place immediately.
The desire is to reach an agreement within the faction on Wednesday, a source close to Netanyahu said.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Limor Livnat welcomed Netanyahu’s decision to reserve the number two post in the party for Shalom.
“There is no doubt this development posits the Likud in a better position and stronger position in the general elections,” Livnat said.
Attempt to remove Feiglin
Sources close to Netanyahu said they were looking into the legal possibility of removing Moshe Feiglin from the party. However, this is apparently only a political spin aimed at minimizing the damage caused to the Likud by Feiglin's increase in support in the elections.
In order to create an impression of "pulling to the center," Netanyahu wishes to distinguish himself from Feiglin, despite that fact that the two have cooperated more than once in the past.
Likud sources said Tuesday that until recently Netanyahu did not hesitate to use the "Feiglins" in the party for his political purposes, especially when it pertained to acting against Sharon.
"Now Bibi will begin to understand why Sharon left the Likud," one Likud member said.
Other Likud MKs who have worked with Feiglin in the past, including Uzi Landau, Yisrael Katz and Michael Ratzon, are not likely to support Netanyahu's move.
The only members who did attempt to remove Feiglin from the Likud were party Director General Arik Barami, who acted on Sharon's initiative, and Minister Limor Livnat.
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