Israel's once and future Prime Minister?
Today is the big day. The election results were handed to President Shimon Peres last night. Peres met with Kadima and the Likud last night. Kadima told him that Tzipi Livni should get the first shot at forming a government because Kadima had the most votes. The Likud told him that Binyamin Netanyahu should get the first shot at forming a government because Netanyahu has the best chance of forming a government. For Livni, the Likud told Peres, it is mathematically impossible.As of last night, 50 MK's were expected to recommend Netanyahu (Likud - 27, Shas - 11, United Torah Judaism - 5, National Union - 4 and Jewish Home - 3) while 28 were expected to recommend Livni (Kadima - 28). The other parties were expected not to recommend anyone. Yes, as of now, Yisrael Beiteinu is not expected to recommend anyone. But....
If one looks at the headlines on the three major English-language web site home pages this morning it becomes clear that Netanyahu is likely to get the mandate. The uber-liberal Haaretz is not even covering the story on its home page at this time, except for a blurb about its most-commented stories on the side that announces "Ex-envoy: Netanyahu-Lieberman is bad combination for U.S." The ex-envoy in question is Dan Kurtzer, formerly the US ambassador to Israel.
On the other hand, until a few minutes ago, YNet's headline was "Likud: Only Bibi can form government." And JPost's headline is "77 MK's to tell Peres they do not support Livni for PM." Those 77 would include the 50 listed above who are supporting the Likud, plus Labor (13), Meretz (3) and the Arab parties (11). That leaves Kadima (28) and Yisrael Beiteinu (15). And Yisrael Beiteinu may come out for Netanyahu after all.
Israel Radio reported a few moments ago that the Likud has given its answers to Yisrael Beiteinu's demands and that they were 'better than Kadima's.' It's kind of hard to say what that means given that Likud needs the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties - or at least Shas - to make a coalition, and one of Yisrael Beiteinu's demands involves civil marriages and 'easier' conversions, but I suspect that Yisrael Beiteinu realizes that the demand to destroy Hamas (on which it may not trust Kadima) is more important to its voters, as is the question of the loyalty of Israel's Arab citizens to the State (an issue Kadima refused to address).
The other factions in the incoming Knesset will meet with President Peres today. Originally, the two smallest factions - Jewish Home and Meretz - were supposed to meet with Peres on Friday morning, but those meetings have been moved up to today in the hope of finishing everything today.
By late tonight or early tomorrow morning we should know who will get the first crack at forming a government.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:03 AM
1 Comments:
Tzipi Livni faces the problem neither the leftist nor the Arab parties will recommend her and the religious parties don't like her being for civil marriage and giving away part of the Land Of Israel. Its hard to form a government when you've united all the odd bedfellows from both sides of the political spectrum against you and they are not recommending you for Prime Minister.
Talk about a low blow! Odds are good Bibi will get the nod to form the next government of Israel if only because of the above facts. Livni is not just a mediocre diplomat - she is a very inept politician to get every one angry at her after an election in which she had the bragging rights!
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