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Netanyahu: Put national interest first
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Livni with Dalia Itzik
Photo: Nitzan Lotem

Likud pressures Livni on unity gov't

Netanyahu says willing to include Kadima in unity government under his leadership, berates Livni for 'putting petty politics before the country's interests'

The Likud and Kadima are preparing for a fateful week as the elections dust settles and the day when President Shimon Peres decided on whom to bestow the responsibility of forming the new government steadily approaches. For now at least, that individual will likely be Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu.

 

In anticipation of this the Likud has already begun wheedling Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni to enter a joint center-right coalition.

 

"Netanyahu would be willing to accommodate Kadima in order to include it in a unity government led by him, but first Livni must set petty politics aside and place the country's interests first," the Likud said in a statement issued Saturday evening.

 

"It is unfortunate that Tzipi Livni is unwilling to accept the will of the vast majority of the people, who want Netanyahu as prime minister, and refuses to join a unity government under his leadership."

 

Referring to the entirety of the right-wing bloc, the statement went on to say that while Netanyahu had garnered 65 mandates in the general elections, Livni secured just half that number of seats.

 

Kadima leaders have scheduled a meeting for Sunday, where they will discuss the options available to the party. Livni has said the party should seriously consider rejecting the idea of joining Netanyahu and lead the opposition instead. At the moment it appears she would be able to secure the necessary support for this move within Kadima. Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik publically backed the idea on Friday.

 

Chairman of Kadima's faction in the Knesset, MK Yoel Hasson, told Ynet that he believes Kadima "must not enter the coalition and make an extreme-right government under Netanyahu seem Kosher. That sort of government will never be able to lead a diplomatic process or change the method of government."

 

He said however that if the Likud were to offer Kadima a rotation arrangement, that would "entirely change

the picture. That's a completely different story."

 

On Sunday coalition negotiations between all the parties are to resume. Kadima will continue to try and dismantle the bloc expected to recommend Netanyahu to Peres, with most of its focus on Avigdor Lieberman. "Lieberman knows how much Netanyahu is committed to the ultra-Orthodox," said Kadima officials convinced the Yisrael Beitenu chairman was still for turning. "And he's angry with the ultra-Orthodox about the things they said about him during the campaign, so nothing is a done deal yet."

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.15.09, 00:35
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