Yachimovich, Lapid: Livni is desperate
Left-Center party leaders say Livni presented false account of the three politicians' meeting; Livni's invitation to meet was a trick, they say
Less than 24 hours after the three politicians convened in an attempt to form a Centr-Left bloc, Labor's Shelly Yachimovich and Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid accused Tzipi Livni, who heads the Hatnua party, of relaying a false account of the meeting.
"Unlike what was agreed upon before and after last night's meeting, Tzipi Livni chose to present a false version of what had transpired during the gathering," Yachimovich and Lapid said in a joint statement.
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"We convened out of mutual respect, even though we have many disagreements over ideology. We were shocked to learn that we were nothing but a backdrop for the calculated spin that didn't contain the faintest hint of truth.
"It has become evident that the invitation to meet was a trick played by Livni, who is desperate in light of the drop in the polls, at the expense of the voters, who hope for change."
Livni, Yachimovich and Lapid. Divided (Photo: Benny Deutsch)
They noted that Livni had chosen to form her own party instead of joining a centrist bloc, and further charged that she "continues to mislead, divide and undermine efforts to create a worthy alternative to an extremist government."
Both vowed that their parties, "each in its own way," will continue the efforts to create such an alternative.
Livni parried that Yachimovich and Lapid's "violent response" indicates that the two coordinated positions ahead of Sunday's meeting.
The Hatnua leader said the two are driven by personal interests "instead of agreeing to the only plan that can give the public hope."
"They will have to answer to the centrist voters, who yearn for the cooperation that would prevent Netanyahu from being elected to another term and establishing a radical, dangerous government," she added.
In an interview with Ynet, Livni said on Monday morning that she will not join Netanyahu's government without any other Left-Center party, adding that "No party in the bloc should join the government independently."
She added that the meeting with Yachimovich and Lapid did not yield the results she had hoped for.
Moran Azulay and Yuval Karni, who contributed to the report, are Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth correspondents
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