Netanyahu at Likud meet: Unity has always been important to us

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said he is still interested in forming a unity government, despite Kadima leader Tzipi Livni's rejection this week of his offer to join the coalition.

"Unity has always been important to us, from the time of Menachem Begin until today," said Netanyahu at a Likud conference in Tel Aviv, just a short while after returning from an official visit to Cairo.

Netanyahu on Sunday offered opposition leader Livni two ministerial posts without portfolio should she agree to bring her Kadima party into the coalition, but said he would not divert from the foreign policy set early in his term.

"Unfortunately, although I made Kadima chairwoman Livni an extremely generous offer nine months ago, she refused," he added.

Meanwhile, other Likud MKs at the conference expressed opposition to the idea of Kadima joining the government, calling them traitors.

MK Tzipi Hotovely said, "We will not allow those who voted in favor of the Gaza Disengagement a foot in the door here. You belong in the opposition."

MK Ayoob Kara said that "Those who destroyed the Likud are not welcome among us."

During their meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu told Livni that the basic lines of government would not change should the centrist Kadima join the coalition.

He said that the premier would retain the right to make every policy decision, and that Kadima would be obligated to accept any agreements reached by the other parties in the coalition.