Netanyahu wants Lieberman, Barak in cabinet
YNet reports that Binyamin Netanyahu told 'close associates' that if he wins the elections, he wants Avigdor Lieberman and Ehud Barak in his cabinet."The government's Basic Lines would enable Yisrael Beiteinu and Labor to join Likud," Netanyahu said in closed-door sessions. "They already sat in the same government and there is no reason that, given the Basic Lines, they won't do it again."Israel Television has just reported that Netanyahu declared in front of a Russian-speaking audience tonight that he hoped that Lieberman would be an 'important minister' in his government.
Meanwhile, the Likud leader and premiership frontrunner made it clear that Lieberman will certainly join his government, saying he was "100% sure" Yisrael Beiteinu would be part of the governing coalition. Netanyahu was expected to unequivocally declare his intention in an elections event Wednesday evening.
Kadima officials accused Labor and Likud of setting up a shady deal intended to secure Barak's position in Netanyahu's government if he is elected to the office of prime minister. However, the Labor party rejected Kadima's charges. [As if Kadima wouldn't do the same if they could. CiJ]But Netanyahu has a problem: No one knows for sure whom Lieberman will recommend as Prime Minister when he goes to Shimon Peres after the elections. And he could recommend Lieberman himself.
In his speech Wednesday, Netanyahu accused the government of "not stopping the southern loophole through which Hamas is obtaining more and more rockets. Neglecting the Philadelphi Route and the highway that was opened there, the restraint against the rocket attacks - this policy has brought no peace and no white doves.
"A few rockets, Qassam showers, and later a storm of Grads and Qassams, and after thousands of rockets the government finally launches a wide-scale military operation," he said.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:04 PM
5 Comments:
He could if Israel Beiteinu shocks pollsters and winds up being the largest party.
Impossible, you say? Israel never had a Kadima Prime Minister before. So Lieberman as PM wouldn't faze a lot of people in Israel.
And Kadima may very well furnish the next prime minister,[Livni], if the small parties on the right and Leiberman continue draining votes away from Likud. There is no way that Yisrael Beitenu is going to recieve enough votes to win the election. But with Likud only ahead of Kadima by about 3-4 mandates, it is very possible that Yisrael Beitenu could take enough votes away from Likud to make Kadima the winner. And that will mean splitting apart Jerusalem, more dangerous appeasement concessions. Bibi has said he won't engage in any expulsions, Kadima will.
amerisrael-
Except that if that occurs, Peres still has the choice as to who to ask to form the government. And if there's a right wing majority, and those parties refuse a Kadima government, then Peres will not choose Livni to form the government.
Kadima could end up heading a minority government. It would have to function in the face of an adverse Knesset majority.
Chances are Bibi is #1 and he'll form that secular-left coalition with Labor and IB.
Carl, I'm practicing my ITYS speech for next week. And the left is laughing.
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