THIS IS INFURIATING. BIBI IS GIVING AWAY THE FRUITS OF VICTORY TO THE LEFT. LIVNI CAMPAIGNED ON A PEACE DEAL WITH PALESTINIANS AND GOT ONLY 6 MANDATES. BIBI HAS NO RIGHT TO THWART THE WILL OF THE ELECTORATE AND HIS OWN PARTY.
I DO NOT ACCEPT THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR A BROAD COALITION.
BIBI IS TURNING HIS BACK ON BENNETT AND LAPID AND FORMING A GOVERNMENT WITH THE OTHER PARTIES. hE IS FORMING A LEFT WING GOVERNMENT AND PUSHING THE PEACE PROCESS.
Ruling party officials slam Netanyahu, say coalition agreement gives Hatnua leader too much power. Habayit Hayehudi: Putting negotiations in hands of woman who was responsible for Gaza disengagement plan make it hard for us to join coalition
Moran Azulay, Attila Somfalvi, YNET
The first coalition deal, which granted Hatnua Chairwoman the justice portfolio and put her in charge of the peace negotiations with the Palestinians, has irked many Likud members, who claim she was given excessive powers in exchange for her willingness to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘s new government.
Knesset members from the ruling party said that should Hatnua also head the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, the centrist party would thwart all ‘rightist’ initiatives.
Speaking to Ynet, the lawmakers from the ruling party leveled harsh criticism at party leader Netanyahu for securing Livni a prominent role in any future peace talks despite his past promise that she would not be involved.
According to Tuesday’s agreement between Likud-Beiteinu and Hatnua, which won only six Knesset seats in the recent elections, Livni will serve as justice minister and also lead the Israeli peace negotiating team. Fellow Hatnua member Amir Peretz will most likely receive the Environmental Protection portfolio.
Senior Likud officials said giving the justice portfolio to Livni and letting her head the Ministerial Committee for Legislation would paralyze the 19th Knesset with regards to the principles represented by Likud.
“By handing the justice portfolio over to Livni, Likud also handed over the key to all legislation in the Knesset over to a small coalition faction,” a top Likud minister said. “Maybe Netanyahu is hoping she won’t do anything in the ministry, as was the case when she headed it in the past, but it is enough that she blocks our initiatives for things to get complicated.”
The minister claimed Likud must head the House Committee and the Justice Committee to “balance out the situation and leave the ruling party some influence on what the Knesset will do.”
Meanwhile, sources in Habayit Hayehudi responded to the inclusion of Hatnua in the next coalition and Livni’s appointment as head of the peace negotiations. “Putting negotiations in the hands of the person who managed the talks on Jerusalem, and who was responsible for the (Gaza) disengagement plan, will make it hard for Habayit Hayehudi to come to the table as part of coalition discussions,” one of the sources said.
Next in line
After Hatnua, next in line to join the government is Shas. Senior officials dealing with the coalition negotiations said earlier that the haredi party will decide in the upcoming day whether or not to accept the proposed outline regarding equal distribution of the burden. If the party says yes to the outline – a deal with Likud-Beiteinu will be signed.
MK Aryeh Deri, one of Shas’s leaders, congratulated Livni on her decision to join a Netanyahu-led coalition. During their conversation, Livni said she expects Shas to sign a similar agreement in the next few days.
“Tzipi Livni brings with her years of experience which I am sure will aid us in overcoming the challenges we face,” Deri said, adding “We need a strong government which will unite the different factions of our society and not promote hatred towards the other.”
Besides ongoing negotiations with Likud-Beiteinu, Deri has been meeting with officials from the Labor Party in a last-ditch effort to convince them to join the next government.
Deri arrived at the Histadrut Labor Federation on Tuesday and held a three hour-long meeting with its chairman Ofer Eini, a known Labor Party strongman. Sources close to Deri said the meeting was very good.
Deri even went as far as announcing, in private conversations, that “Am Yisrael needs Shelly (Yachimovich) as finance minister. It is an interest we share as a party dedicated to those in need.”
Laura Said:
Then I blame nobody but Netanyahu.
What are the chances that Obama frightened feckless Bibi into doing this?
@ Bill Narvey:
i am afraid you are right bill.
🙁
Beyond venting, what if anything can be done to get Netanyahu’s head on straight? If something can be done, who can do it and how?
The media? People massing on the streets? Monied people opposed to Netanyahu’s sell out to form a coalition, taking out ads in the media to ignite a groundswell firestorm of mass grass roots angry opposition?
Unless something such as the foregoing is done, which is very unlikely, those opposed to Netanyahu’s sell out efforts will be reduced to venting which will have no effect whatsoever.
The Israeli political system is broken and dysfunctional. It serves the interests of politicians out to advantage their own interests ahead of the interests of Israel and all Israelis.
As for the future, unless Israelis come to grips with the fact that their dysfunctional political system serves not their interests but the interests of the politicians who thus like things just the way they are and with that en masse demand better, nothing will change and we will continue to see infuriating political situations such as we are witnessing now with Netanyahu’s sell out efforts to form a coalition.
Blast from the past, circa 2006. This is the empty headed dodo and her friends who will be taking over Israel’s “Justice” Ministry and be in charge of capitulations to the Fakestinians.
Livini is guided by blind ambition. She is willing to undercut the security of Israel and Israel’s elected government to gain political position. She urged our administration (Obama) to pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu on housing and other issues such as borders by making threats to withdraw US military support of Israel. Her funding sources are questionable.
Currently, she is interested in promoting domestic turmoil in Israel which will undercut Israel’s unity at the time that Israel is under extreme international . Palestinian Authority, and Arab League pressure. While all Israeli factions acknowledge Israel has many economic and social problems,Livini is uninterested in solving them but rather she wants to utilize them for her own selfish political ends. As an American participating in US policy discussions, I have observed her in action. She is dangerous and unscrupulous. Surely, Kadima and Israel can and should do much better.