_a.jpg "Photo: Eli Elgarat")
_a.jpg "Photo: Yaron Brener")
Bibi, Shalom iron out differences
Netanyahu announces Likud ministers to quit government Friday, but Foreign Minister Shalom associates deny he prepared resignation letter. Later, Bibi meets with Shalom, two figures agree Shalom to quit after all
Dispute resolved: Following a meeting characterized as "good and reconciliatory," Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom were able to agree on the latter's resignation from the government.
The meeting was set up following disagreements between the two figures following Netanyahu's order that Likud ministers all quit the government. During the meeting it was agreed that Shalom will be handing in his resignation letter on Friday after all. The two senior Likud members also agreed to make a joint appearance at the Likud Central Committee Thursday evening as primaries results are released.
Earlier Thursday, Netanyahu said he handed over the resignation letters of three Likud ministers to the cabinet secretariat.
The resignations of Yisrael Katz, Limor Livnat and Danny Naveh are set to go into effect on Sunday.
However, at that time sources close to Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom denied Netanyahu’s earlier statement, claiming Bibi is not in possession of Shalom’s resignation letter.
“There won’t be a letter before the two meet Thursday afternoon, because the way Netanyahu handled things is very problematic,” a source said.
“The other ministers changed their minds and handed over the letters because Bibi’s associates threatened “revenge” in the Central Committee if they did not abide by Netanyahu’s instructions.
Later Netanyahu and the Likud ministers set off to vote in the party’s primary elections but Shalom did not be join in. The resigning Likud ministers said Netanyahu has urged them to join him on a “union tour” in the afternoon.
In yet the clearest sign of rising tension between Shalom and Netanyahu, the Likud leader praised Livnat, Naveh and Katz for their resignation saying “they behaved responsibly and out of concern for the future of the Likud.” He fell short of mentioning Shalom who has not submitted a resignation letter.
Netanyahu and Shalom are set to meet Thursday evening to try solving their differences with reports surfacing that Shalom used his secured position as number 2 to defy Netanyahu’s call on Likud ministers to resign.
Kadima readying to replace Likud ministers
In Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office, preparations are underway to replace Likud ministers with Kadima officials. “At the moment we are not ruling out any possibility, including the forwarding of appointments of Shimon Peres, Haim Ramon, Dalia Itzik, Zeev Boim, Yaakov Ederi and Ronnie Bar-On,” a Kadima official said.
Legal hurdles face Olmert’s decision to appoint new ministers, as the Knesset’s legal department ruled that the acting prime minister cannot appoint Labor MKs who defected to Kadima. Should Olmert seek approval from the highest legal authority, the High Court of Justice is likely to rule against the appointments of three former Labor MKs Peres, Ramon and Itzik to ministerial positions.
