Tzipi Livni
Livni: Zionist Camp will not sit in Netanyahu-Bennett gov’t
Center-left leader Livni blasts Netanyahu for scheduled Congress speech, saying ‘Netanyahu is throwing Israel’s security to the wind just so he can be heard speaking fluent English and get a few extra votes.’
Deputy chairwoman of the center-left Zionist Camp Tzipi Livni said the bloc – currently polling second after the ruling Likud party – would not sit in a coalition led by Prime Minister Netanyahu and which includes the rightwing Bayit Yehudi party.
“We want to replace Netanyahu, not form a unity government with him,” Livni told Ynet in an interview Thursday morning.
Tzipi Livni at Ynet's studio
When asked if the center-left bloc would sit in a coalition including Netanyahu, Bayit Yehudi leader and the ultra-Orthodox parties, Livni said: “A Bibi-Bennett-Haredi coalition, like the one Netanyahu is dreaming of, is a nightmare coalition for the average Israeli. We will certainly not join such a coalition."
Livni also slammed Netanyahu for his scheduled US congress speech, which has strained tensions between Israel and the US, after Netanyahu accepted a Republican invitation to address Congress without coordinating the visit with the Democrats or the White House, prompting claims he was turning Israel into a partisan issue.
Livni rejected Netanyahu’s claim he is giving the speech to protect Israel from the threat of a bad nuclear deal between world powers and Iran.
“Netanyahu is not traveling to the US for security or for Iran. He is traveling for his own petty politics. If I thought he could convince anyone of anything and the visit would make a difference then I would say so.
“He is throwing Israel’s security to the wind just so he can get a few more votes. He is damaging our ties with the US by causing an entire party – the ruling (Democratic) party – to feel unease. Our military abilities depend on the US.”
Livni says Netanyahu’s ego is largely to blame: “He loves the lime light, the applause and speaking, he thinks the setting and him speaking in fluent English is something that helps Israel. But the fact is that he is attempting to rustle up a few more votes while showing off his English which will not convince anyone of anything – quiet the opposite it seems,” Livni said.
“Netanyahu has brainwashed the public into thinking he knows how to deal with defense issues, but he responds very weakly to Hamas and Hezbollah,” she said.
Recent polls have predicted Netanyahu's Likud party will recieve 26 Knesset seats followed closely by the Zionist Camp with 24, with a 4 point margin of error.
