Future
Netanyahu to rivals: Time to unite for Israel's sake By Yossi Verter, Mazal Mualem, Yuval Azoulay, and News Agencies Haaretz Last update - 16:35 20/02/2009 www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1065790.htmlLikud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday accepted a mandate to form
Israel's next government and immediately called for a broad, national unity
coalition with centrist and left-wing partners."I call on Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni and Labor party chairman Ehud Barak
and I say to them - let's unite to secure the future of the State of Israel.
I ask to meet with you first to discuss with you a broad national unity
government for the good of the people and the state," Netanyahu said.Netanyahu on Friday accepted the formal invitation from President Shimon
Peres to form the next government, saying he feels a great responsibility to
provide Israel with security and peace.Netanyahu said that Iran poses the biggest threat to Israel since its War of
Independence, and that Israel also faces tough economic times ahead.Netanyahu, who was prime minister in the 1990s, has six weeks to forge a
coalition cabinet."I believe that it is in the national interest to establish a government as
quickly as possible," said Peres at the press conference in Jerusalem."The people of Israel need governmental and political stability so that we
will be able to cope with the challenges standing before us," Peres
continued. "The challenges are varied and urgent. And the public expects
expects that following the elections, a fitting government be formed that
will roll up its sleeves and perform its duties faithfully."Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni earlier on Friday reiterated that her centrist
Kadima party will likely join the opposition and not sit in a right-wing
coalition headed by Netanyahu."A broad coalition has no value if it does not lead the way," said Livni
after meeting with President Shimon Peres."There is a coalition here based on a lack of political vision," said Livni,
"a coalition that will not allow me to exercise the way of Kadima."Peres on Friday met separately with Netanyahu and with Livni at his official
residence in Jerusalem for talks on coalition-building.
If Livni blocks Kadima joining a Bibi government then I predict you will see a number of Kadima members bolt from Kadima and join the Likud.
If this does in fact happen this will be the last election that Kadima is one of the bigger parties in the Knesset, it may even go into the history books like so many others have done in Israeli politics.
I also predict that Bibi will give our land away and he also will not strike Iran.
