Katsav: I’ve decided who’ll form government

While President Moshe Katsav has not yet formally announced his choice for prime minister, he seems set on entrusting Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with the task of forming the new government.

At the end of a long day of discussions with parties Katsav said Tuesday evening: “Amir Peretz called me and said he supports Ehud Olmert. There isn’t a single party that unequivocally opposes Olmert. In fact, there is no other candidate for the government.”

Meanwhile, Shas party members said they are against Acting Prime Minister Olmert’s convergence plan but they will join a governing coalition.

Katsav (left) during meeting with Likud representatives (Photo: Gil Yochanan)  

Katsav vowed to meet Olmert before Passover and will apparently announce his decision by the end of the week.

“I have already taken the decision of appointing a prime minister. First, I want to call the office of the candidate to book a meeting,” he said.

Katsav met representatives from the Shas and United Arab List-Ta’al factions on Tuesday. United Torah Judaism is the only party which has not met Katsav yet. The ultra-orthodox faction will apparently meet the president on Thursday after consultation with the Council of Torah Sages.

Katsav said he will call undecided parties to confirm their position before making an announcement.

“I didn’t want to intervene with their conclusions but I see no point is second-round talks. We will contact some party leaders like Israel Our Home to hear their decisions,” he said.

'Election results concern us'

Shas members recommended Olmert for prime minister. “The people of Israel said there will be a social revolution and this revolution is underway,” party leader Eli Yishai said.

Yishai refused to speak of ministerial posts and government policy, saying his party’s priority is the improvement of the economic situation among the country’s poorest.

United Arab List-Ta’al representatives told Katsav they will not join a coalition government but they will support the convergence plan from the opposition seats. They made no recommendations for the premiership. They also told the president of their concern over the strong showing for Israel Our Home in the election.

“This election’s results concern us because of the strengthening of some parties who preoccupy themselves with the subject of the Arab minority in the country, and I mean Israel Our Home. People like these were banned in Europe and we hope they will not be part of the coalition. Those who want to transfer Umm el-Fahem residents cannot be ministers. It is important for us that the president voices his position on the issue,” MK Ahmed Tibi said.

Katsav said he opposes transfer and harming the rights of Israel’s Arab residents. “I utterly oppose the idea of transfer. The Arab citizens of Israel are fully fledged citizens. Their rights and duties are unconditional,” the president said.