Netanyahu, Livni trade barbs over Kadima coalition offer

Both Likud and Kadima's record on gay rights is abysmal. Both parties reject gay marriage and affirmative action in the workplace. Meretz is the only Israeli party with a positive record on gay rights, and must therefore be included in any new coalition realignment.

Netanyahu wants to share with Kadima the blame for what is the undeniable failure of his policies. Oh whatever! This repetitive scenario is so boring if it were not so serious. There is a certain inertia that Israel consistently fails to check. The settler movement. It does so at its peril. But does the government of Israel actually care or more likely can do NOTHING about it?

While they were in power, Kadima acted like Likud. Now that Bibi is in power, Kadima will have to act more like Likud than Likud does in order to gein support. Kadimas original charter, and plans are long since out the window. Kadima may as well return to their Likud, where they came from, and stop play acting.

Apparently, There have been much voices Kadima would've been rejected the offer if the Likud party hadn't been such racist at it's thoughts. Personally, I think Levni knows what she is about to do, Either what she has shown us recently.

coalition to the left, so he did not offer Livni enough to interest Kadima. So I guess we get the status quo for the next six months or until the next crises, whichever comes first.

Livni is still dreaming Napoleonic dreams of running this country. Her party is composed of deserters and corrupt politicians and she is showing herself to be an inept ineffectual useless politician. She should pull her finger out of her a** and join the coalition.Only then can she maybe make a difference, at the moment she is only showing how useless she is. There is nothing noble about being an a**hole, Tsipi if you are reading this you may be totally hot but you have a lot to learn about politics. My 2c.

much more to this than meets the eye....Bibi is by far best man for the job.

The thought that three inflationary non-descript ministerial positions wuould be enough to lure kadima into Netanyahu's bosssom is pathetic. Kadima was formed by Sharon who could not stand Netanyahu and the PM is the same arrogant disagreeable sociopath. If Kadima cannot succeed as a reliable, meanningful opposition party, how can it survive and be trusted as a ruling party. Livni and Mofaz, warts and all, should hone their political message, show that they are a serious alternative to the failing PM and convince the public that they deserve to unseat him. Being a doormat to the PM is not in their political or the public's best interest.

Talk about arrogance! Arrogance in Israel is hardly the perogative of any one party. It is a political rality across the board.

How the un-mighty have fallen. Tzipi and Mofaz had better be careful how fast they keep changing directions or they will get whiplash. Kadima is no longer a party -- it has nothing to say except to scream "arrogance" even as it seeks further negotiations. That was always Tzipi's way: she did the same when she declared against Olmert and then refused to resign. She is about to be thrown onto the refuse-heap of history like the used-up dish-rag she is. And she deserves every bit of it.

Kadima will join the coalition when A. Lieberman is replaced as Foreign Minister B. A total building freeze is imposed...TOTAL. These conditions would force Natenyahu to clarify his commitment to peace.

Netanyahu invited Livi to a conversation that its outcome was known in advance. It was clearly doomed to fail, not because of Livini, but rather due to Netanyahu’s pathetic power play and arrogant attitude before, during and after the ‘conversation’. Livni is far from being the highlight of the Israeli Knesset to say the least. Her acts and omissions speaks for themselves. But whether Netanyahu likes it or not, she is in the Knesset and obligated to promote certain interests and ideas that brought her there. To ask her to publicly walk away from her obligations, in the name of “the pressing hour and the growing danger” is not negotiation but pure amateurism. Israel was always under the sword but that did not prevent people from perusing and promoting just causes, and rightly so. Once again, Like in the Shalit case, Netanyahu should get his priorities right. If he wants her in and if its so important that Livi will be in, then he can not ignore her obligations or treat them like dust. He should work to accommodate some of them. If the hour is so pressing, then he should explain to his coalition partners that concessions are most needed and almost a must, in order to achieve a greater good. I lack to see why anyone would like to add a person like Livni to the the leadership of Israel. Her place is next to ‘giants’ like Amir Peretz and Olmert, not as part of a responsible and worthy government.

Indeed if it can only hang on a while it might see the Netanyahu government self-destruct. Bibi might understand he is lying when he pretends to talk about peace, but is the average Likudik that rational?

If Kadima had joined the rightists would have all quit and the coalition would have been 28 seats to Kadima, Labour 13 and 27 to Likud thats will mean that the left have nearly twice as many seats as Likud. Labour & Kadima would have stuck together easily overruling Likud & if Bibi rejects the only option is an election if Livni threatens to withdraw from the coalition so she would be as good as PM because as she is the opposition she wouldn't mind an election Bibi does so he would need her more than she needs him so Livni could push him around and able to dictate policies so Bibi might be wearing the crown but she would be the one with all the power. Come election time the right wing voters wouldn't go with Likud again because they wouldn't be trusted because Bibi gave up a right wing coalition in favour of the left so Likud would loose alot of seats. Bibi is lucky Livni rejected otherwise instead of destroying her & Kadima he would have destroyed himself and Likud.

Volvo's? When last were you in ISRAEL "my ou pellie?" Those Chinese vehicles are out broer ;-) Audis, Skodas & Mercs (all armour plated by an ISRAELI company) are the order of the day now. The krauts seem to have been forgiven.

The country needs a healthy opposition. To give all of that up to fullfill the ambitions of two people who will get their Volvo's is ridiculous. Besides, the country needs an opposition more then ever, with Bibi at the helm and the country falling apart over ''the'' situation.

... a sure way a-priori to keep Kadima out... ... the impression is that Bibi's offer was not in good faith... ... he's just playing-around with Tzipi and Kadima, for the sake of effect...

I agree with your comments. Livni is too sophisticated for Mr. Netanyahu. As he has reiterated, he already has a coalition, and he should just have to make do w/that. Exactly that the right wing is not ready to have a woman prime minister. So let them deal w/Lieberman whose political acumen is actually correct. Unless you throw in everything Israel won in the six-day war plus the right of return, you've got no deal, let's face it. They have the West bank and I don't see them dismantling any of the refugee camps. Time is history. The Arabs missed their opportunity in 1949 already w/Partition. Time stops for no-one and history marches on. The only thing the Arabs have over the Jews, is that they are willing to fight and are not afraid to die, even though every human being instinctively will want to hold on to his life. And THAT is the advantage they have over the IDF. Young Israelis do not want to defend the land anymore, so we lost Gush Katif and in the process of losing the rest.

into inner cabinet of ministers making the crucial decisions for progress with the diplomatic frontier as a) she'd be the only woman b) some of the existing members rejected initially the leadership of a woman eg. Shas, Likud and c) she'd be the representative of Kadima (a centrist party) and d) would certainly bring about more credibility and professionalism than, for example, FM Lieberman. He just stated he doesn't foresee peace with the Palestinians in the near future.

who would make a deal with Livni is not to be trusted and needs to be ousted soon. Netanyahu no longer has my respect.