Netanyahu offers Kadima two cabinet posts, but says he sets Israel policy
PM meets Livni in bid to woo party into coalition, but says Kadima must accept governmental decisions.
By Haaretz Service, Barak Ravid and Mazal Mualem Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu Israel news Tzipi LivniPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday offered opposition leader Tzipi 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.
During their evening meeting, Netanyahu also 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.
Following their meeting, Livni summoned her aides to debate the proposal.
Netanyahu made the call to meet Livni on Sunday in another attempt to woo Kadima into the coalition. Earlier Sunday, he urged her to act as then opposition leader Menachem Begin before the Six Day War.
"I met with the head of the opposition and told her I'm determined to widen the government," the prime minister said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting.
"I hope that Kadima will answer my call as Begin did in his time? [when] he joined the serving government in 1967. I believe that today, like then, what unites us is greater than what divides us."
Senior Kadima official Dalia Itzik said on Israel Radio that Netanyahu's offer to Livni was "rotten and deceptive."
Ahead of his meeting with Livni, Netanyahu said he was awaiting the Kadima leader's prompt reply to his offer to join the coalition.
"I hope Livni understands how crucial time is," said Netanyahu, adding that he would not redistribute ministerial portfolios if Livni's party accepted the offer.
Netanyahu reportedly told his advisers that he intends to "broaden the existing unity government in light of the challenges that Israel faces." However, he added that he had "no intention of reopening coalition agreements of a government which functions so well, with the full cooperation of all its components."
Livni, meanwhile, on Saturday consulted with prominent members of her Kadima party about whether to accept Netanyahu's proposal last week to join the government without the benefit of ministerial portfolios.
The round of talks Livni held with Yisrael Hasson and Shaul Mofaz, among others, came after Kadima members accused her of acting without taking their views into consideration.
Both parties had lowered expectations prior to the meeting, Israel Radio reported early Sunday, adding that they have expressed doubts about whether a unity government could be formed.
Last week Livni described Netanyahu's offer as an attempt to weaken the opposition.
A spokesman for Livni said Friday that she didn't consider the offer - which included no cabinet posts with governing power - serious.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal two days before the offer was made, Livni said she prefers being in the opposition to serving as a dovish "fig leaf" in the government.
She applauded Netanyahu's shift on Palestinian statehood - in which he said he was willing to work toward that end - but said his strategy for negotiations is too vague.
Likud officials have held talks with at least 14 Kadima Knesset members about defecting to Likud, according to Shaul Mofaz, Livni's main rival within Kadima. He said this is indicative of a lack of faith within Kadima in Livni's leadership.
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Opposition leader Tzipi Livni and PM Benjamin Netanyahu. |
| Photo by: (Archive) |
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Netanyahu invited Livi to a conversation that its outcome was written on the wall in brail letters. It was clearly doomed to fail, not because of Livini, but rather due to Netanyahu’s pathetic power play 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 call her to a conversation just in order 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 just causes and do their best to make life tolerable and worth of living. 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.
Netanyahu's "Bar-Ilan Speech" was nothing but a CHARADE. In the U.S. informed people ignored it... Here we knew he was ZIGZAGING AGAIN. Yet everyone knew that "Bar-Ilan" had no substance. Now he tries to sell it again, as if it was great 2nd hand CADILLAC, or A ROLLS-ROYCE Service Straight to INDEPENDENT PALESTINE. But, we know the crook - and what even buy a real second hand car from the guy!
Netanyahu simply rejects peace! That is why he can't talk peace! So what can BB and Livni talk about? They shape and form of minister's armchairs? Give us a break BB. You are fool of [place here a 4 letter word].
but Livni is hot for her age.
She will be a fool to accept such offer. Either Deputy PRIME MINISTER or Opposition LEADER.
Most people have already turned this off, more and more are turning it off.
Bibi has a perfectly functioning coalition able to maintain the status quo. If he wants Kadima in the government, it's because he does not want to maintain the status quo. It makes sense that he wants to do things that his right most coalition partners will not support. If he has Kadima, perhaps the extreme right will have no choice since they can't threaten his government. Maybe this is an indication that there's something substantively brewing in Israeli foreign policy for 2010.
The words of a good israeli.
I do not think we need to point out the failure of Livni by calling Kadima her party. Really there are other more honorable women in power as well as men of Kadima. I believe Livni has taken credit for far to long for the workings of the teams underneath her.Has anyone remembered the United Nations Security Councel debrief of 2008 refereing to Livni's failures in the global scale.Find another face for Kadima please. We have a government we need maybe an election for Kadima alliance only like the Republican Party or the Democrat Party in the USA. They have a national convention let it stand at that. That is what you are allowed get your contributors to give you donations your on your own without Israeli monetary funds to run your events. Rankoo-Karoon
Yes. I know. I've been voting for these various forlorn hopes for years. The Democons and Republicrats are both faces of corporate oligarchy and that probably explains why half of the US population doesn't bother to vote. I still go to the polls and vote on the local races. Then for president I vote for whatever 3rd party seems to have a ghost of a chance. I briefly got my hopes up last year for the Ron Paul Revolution. I was so excited I sent political contributions. Oh well. We had a win by the 'change' guy. Now everything is the same. Goldman Sachs people are still in charge of Treasury and the Fed. Neo-con guys are still in charge of Defense. The military-industrial complex is still thriving. I guess I meant to say; we need more political parties THAT ARE RELEVENT.
"Wish we had more parties in the US." - ghostoflutherblisset We have one, the Corporate Party, with two branches, the republicans and the democrats. Isn't that enough for you? The branches of the Corporate Party do everything that is necessary. The republicans sell us out to the ultra-rich and the democrats pretend there is an opposition. What else do we need done. Back to reality TV. . .
So much media talk has been generated by the media news presenters and the many many proffessionl political investigators -so whats news? Kadima disintegration? Why is time crucial? Does the likud need Kadima for future Iran Proposals? After over a thousand days captivity the discussion finally gets under way with 7 politicians with deciding power only. Wasnt time crucial during the thousand days too? HAL.
I AM SURPRISED YOU DON'T KNOW THAT THE US HAS MORE THAN 8 POLITICAL PARTIES
I often find it difficult to understand what's going on with all the different political parties and the weird coalitions, but it is never boring. Wish we had more parties in the US.
Livni & Kadima are HISTORY, bye-bye