Netanyahu Surprises in Efforts to Form Unity Coalition

Israel’s presumptive prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has surprised many by the lengths to which he is apparently going in order to bring his most vehement political opponent into the government. Previously, it had been revealed that Netanyahu offered Qadima party head Tzipi Livni what amounted to a partnership in running the government, including allowing her party to control several of the most important ministries. With Livni’s continued refusal apparently based on concern over the other parties that would also participate in the coalition, it has been revealed that Netanyahu has offered to allow Livni to participate in the drafting of criteria upon which coalition agreements between Netanyahu’s Likud and the other parties that will make up the ruling bloc will be made. Livni’s number two, Shaul Mofaz, has publicly criticized Livni for being too hasty in rejecting Netanyahu’s overtures. In his public statements, Netanyahu has been stressing the importance to the nation of a unity government at a critical time. Defense Minister Ehud Barak, a former prime minister who heads the Labor party, has turned down Netanyahu’s offer to enter the coalition, deciding instead to take his party into the opposition.