Sheetrit: Bibi has a good chance to form gov't

Head of Kadima's campaign bureau, Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit, admitted Monday that based on recent polls Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu stands a good chance of forming a government and becoming Israel's next prime minister.

"I predict a dangerous situation in which the rightist bloc would win 65 Knesset seats and Netanyahu would have a greater chance of forming a coalition," he said in a meeting with foreign reporters.

"The Labor Party is no longer relevant," Sheetrit added. "The struggle now is between Kadima and the Likud. The public needs to take into consideration that if Bibi is elected – the peace process will be completely frozen, and this will lead to severe economic stagnation.

"No economic plan presented by Bibi can succeed without calm on the security front," he warned, claiming that if a right-wing coalition is formed, all foreign investments in Israel would be put on hold.

'Dishonest and irresponsible'

Referring to the peace negotiations, Sheetrit said, "I haven't seen any Arab leader so far who is willing to give up anything. And in the meantime Israel should do the same." However, he stressed that he preferred "a country with smaller borders, but which is Jewish and democratic."

The minister slammed Netanyahu's unwillingness to negotiate the ceding of the Golan Heights, the Jordan valley or Jerusalem. "This is no way to jumpstart a diplomatic process," he stated. "Netanyahu is misleading the public regarding his ability to bring peace. Netanyahu and his rightist partners will not bring peace, but rather economic stagnation brought about by economic crisis."

Sheetrit also accused the Likud leader of being a populist, after he announced his support of the financial safety net for pension funds on Tuesday. "It is impossible to ensure a safety net for the entire citizens of Israel, and whoever promises to do so is being dishonest and irresponsible," he claimed.