Peres and Netanyahu, met twice
Photo: Ohad Zoigenberg
Peres and Livni, to meet Monday
Photo: AP
Peres to meet with Livni
After meeting with PM twice last week, president slated to meet with opposition leader Monday, possibly in hopes of forming unity government
Are talks for a unity government gaining steam? After meeting twice with the Netanyahus last week, President Shimon Peres
is scheduled to meet with Opposition leader Knesset Member Tzipi Livni
on Monday.
Sources close to the talks said the meeting was initiated by Livni, in the frame of the monthly talks held between the opposition leader and the president.
However, the political establishment was quick to link Peres' efforts to bring about a change in the coalition's composition with the intensive talks he has been holding recently with high-ranking politicians.
Peres is very concerned with Israel's current political situation, and has therefore decided to operate on a number of planes.
On the one hand, the president has embarked on a round of meetings in Europe to help salvage what is left of Israel's standing in the international arena, while on the other hand has been holding intensive talks with high-ranking politicians in Israel in hopes of leading to a change in the coalition.
Sources in Kadima last week said that officially, the part would be willing to join the coalition if its composition and guidelines were changed.
MK Dalia Itzik, head of the Kadima faction, addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a speech in Knesset saying, "In recent days we have been hearing about the unity government spin. I have a feeling that someone, not you, is using this spin to buy time. I tell you, on behalf of almost the entire Kadima faction, we want a unity government. A new unity government."
According to Itzik, "A government that would promote the State with new guidelines, with political talks taking off from where they left of with the prior government. Do you want a government that represents the majority of this people? Come and alter the structure of the coalition. I am certain that you do not sleep at night, and if you do sleep at night, you have a problem."
In response, Netanyahu said, "Dalia, I do sleep, but not much. I sleep good, but not much."
