Likud favorable to Lieberman's demands

[Junkdrawer]

The Likud on Wednesday gave a largely-favorable response to Israel Beiteinu's list of demands for joining a coalition headed by party leader Binyamin Netanyahu. Likud faction chairman MK Gideon Sa'ar gave the document to Israel Beiteinu's representative at the coalition talks, MK Stas Meseznikov, during a meeting.

The Likud went on to say that despite having already "led several legislative changes in this regard," it would be willing to "examine, together with its future coalition partners, the need to make amendments to the citizenship law," but that such changes would need to "conform to binding international judicial and constitutional norms."
...

Regarding Israel Beiteinu's demand that the Hamas regime in Gaza be overthrown, the Likud asserted that it rejects "Kadima's policy of arriving at agreements with terrorists, such as the tahadiyeh (calm) of June 2008." The statement said that Likud would "choose a different method of subduing terrorism and overthrowing the Hamas regime," but did not go into detail as to what steps would be on the agenda

...

On Tuesday, Likud officials expressed anger at Lieberman for repeated hints dropped by his party's coalition negotiating team that they could back Kadima leader Tzipi Livni, due to Kadima's acceptance of Israel Beiteinu's demands on matters of religion and state. The Likud cannot make the same promises due to commitments to the haredi parties.

...

But the real action at the president's residence is set to take place on Thursday morning, when Lieberman will reveal to Peres his decision on whether he backs Netanyahu, Livni, or neither. Lieberman is scheduled to return from a vacation in Minsk on Wednesday night.

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http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304817194&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[LeftishBrit]

1. I wish Lieberman and Netanyahu would just vanish

Horrible people.

[Scurrilous]

2. Netanyahu wins backing in Israeli PM contest

<snip>

"Benjamin Netanyahu's chances of becoming Israel's prime minister were boosted on Thursday by the conditional backing of an ultranationalist politician who emerged as a kingmaker in a photo-finish election.

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, recommended to President Shimon Peres that he tap Netanyahu to form a government, if the right-wing Likud chief pursued a broad coalition. Netanyahu has said he would do so.

Peres could announce as early as Friday, after wrapping up consultations with party leaders, whether he will ask Netanyahu or centrist Kadima chief Tzipi Livni, Israel's foreign minister, to put together a governing coalition.

Both laid claim to the premiership after Kadima won 28 seats in the 120-member parliament to Likud's 27 in an inconclusive February 10 election that deepened uncertainty about future peace moves with the Palestinians.

With Lieberman's support, Netanyahu has the backing of some 65 legislators, enough for a narrow, governing majority of right-wing and Jewish religious parties."

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