Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu intends to offer Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni senior ministerial appointments as well as veto power over government decisions, if she agrees to join a government led by him. If Livni refuses the offer, one-third of her faction may split off and join Netanyahu anyways. According to Yoav Yitzchak of News1, Shaul Mofaz and nine other elected Knesset members from Kadima’s list may not follow Livni into the opposition and could split off from Kadima to form their own faction, which would then join Netanyahu’s government.
Binyamin Netanyahu is still hoping to convince Kadima and Labor to join his coalition and would reportedly like to see Livni and Labor chief Ehud Barak continue in their current capacities as Foreign Minister and Defense Minister, respectively. Livni agreed to meet Netanyahu today after he phoned her Friday.
According to reports from sources in Kadima, Livni will not join Netanyahu’s government unless he agrees to rotation in the Prime Minister’s Office. Netanyahu opposes such a deal.
Livni sent a cellphone text message to about 80,000 Kadima activists Thursday in which she declared that Likud’s overtures for unity were unacceptable because “the path of such a government is not our own and we have nothing to look for there. You didn’t vote for us in order to provide a kosher certificate for a right-wing government, and we need to provide an alternative of hope from the opposition.”
{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel/Arutz-7}
