Meeting of Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu teams
Photo: Dudu Azulay
Kadima official: Netanyahu forfeiting rule of law to Lieberman
Sources in centrist party livid by what they call prime minister-designate's yielding to rightist bloc's demands, say unity government was within grasp
Senior sources in Kadima slammed Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday for "forfeiting the rule of law and Israel's foreign relations" to Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, and the country's economy, via stipends, to the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism.
"Netanyahu says we are in a state of security and financial emergency and he is right… If he could only stop holding the office above everything else he could have formed a unity government with Kadima and the Labor Party," said a Kadima source.
Coalition
Attila Somfalvi
PM-designate, Yisrael Beiteinu leader meet, say portfolio assignment not an obstacle
"Naturally, he fears that without the rightist bloc he has no claim to the premiership and that is all that he cares about. (Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi) Livni would have allowed for a rotation, even though he doesn’t deserve it."
Meanwhile, the coalition negotiations continued Sunday, as the Likud's negotiation team met with Yisrael Beiteinu representatives.
"We had a good meeting but we still have to iron out differences on the system of government, allegiance and religious and state. No final agreement has been reached," Yisrael Beiteinu Knesset Member David Rotem told Ynet.
As for how close the Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu really were to striking a coalition deal, all Rotem would say was that "as long as there is no deal it means that we are far from getting one. It's like a pregnancy – a woman is either 100% pregnant or she's not pregnant at all. We are far from 100%."
Likud sources said that both parties agreed on various benefits to those who served in the IDF or the National Service, as well as struck an agreement in principal to pass a law allowing anyone convicted of terror, espionage or treason offenses to be stripped of any state-funded benefits.
The parties are scheduled to meet again Monday to discuss the issue of civil marriage in Israel.
Though no formal statement has been made in the matter of which portfolios Yisrael Beiteinu stands to hold in Netanyahu's future government, it is believed that Avigdor Lieberman will be made the new foreign minister, homeland security will be trusted to MK Uzi Landau, the Ministry of National Infrastructures to MK Stas Misezhnikov and the Tourism Ministry to MK Yitzhak Aharonovitch.
