[redcarpet]

Israel headed to elections: Lapid rejects Netanyahu's terms for saving coalition

Haaretz

Finance Minister Yair Lapid late Monday rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ultimatums presented to him in a meeting billed as a last-ditch attempt to preserve the coalition.

Netanyahu demanded that Lapid stop “sabotaging the work of the government,” retract his opposition to Netanyahu’s version of the Jewish nation-state bill, and freeze the zero-VAT plan, the flagship of Lapid’s economic agenda.

At the end of the hour-long meeting, Lapid told the prime minister that he could not accede to these demands – paving his way out of the coalition.

Moments after the meeting, Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri calls on all faction heads to "meet at once and to reach an agreement for setting a date as quickly as possible for elections." Shas' move brings forward elections, as Netanyahu will not be able to form an alternative coalition without the Haredi parties.

“If the unprecedented behavior of some government ministers continues, there will be no choice but to go to elections again,” Netanyahu said in a statement after the meeting. No reaction from Lapid was forthcoming by press time.

Netanyahu also demanded that Lapid transfer NIS 6 billion to the Defense Ministry for training and equipment, and free the funds necessary for the Israel Defense Forces to move its training bases to the Negev.

The meeting was the first between the two men since the crisis between them erupted a few weeks ago. The meeting was aimed at deciding whether the two could continue working together or whether new elections should be called.

Netanyahu’s associates said prior to the meeting that he hasn’t yet decided whether to continue the current coalition or call new elections, and his decision will rest largely on the outcome of the meeting with Lapid. Lapid’s Yesh Atid party is Netanyahu’s largest coalition partner.

Ow, Netanyahu having coalition problems. I don't know if early elections would be good for the country though.

[pugsville]

I don't think crumbling. There is growing dissatisfaction from a lot of different parties of the coalition. But it;s unlikely they will agree on anyone else either.
Netanyahu I think will hold on, with less popularly and less satisfaction but Israeli politics are pretty hard work to get a working coalition of any sort. While Netanyahu coalition is increasing creaky I don't see anyone else managing to cobble together anything more workable.

[wat0n]

It may go to elections, but Netanyahu has the better odds of forming a coalition. The question is, though, which parties would join him.

[Wrath_014]

Waste of time and a waste of tax paying money....

[redcarpet]

Waste of time and a waste of tax paying money....

Do you mean the salaries of the politicians? Or the electoral commission's use of public funds to administrate an early election?

[Wrath_014]

Do you mean the salaries of the politicians? Or the electoral commissions use of public funds to administrate an early election?

I mean the public funds that will go to waste due to this election, becuase we will see the same people sitting on different chairs......

[redcarpet]

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-election-a-referendum-on-netanyahu/

Netanyahu's prospects mild, and Labor looking at alliance with Hatuna and other parties as well.

Edit for expansion;

Livni: Hatnuah will join a center-left bloc

Hatnuah chairwoman says her party will run on a joint ticket; 'When there's hope that Netanyahu can be replaced, he will be,' she tells Channel 2.

Hatnuah party will join other parties in the coming elections to form a center-left bloc, Hatnuah Chairwoman Tzipi Livni told the Israeli Chanel 2.

"There will be a joint ticket," Livni said on the channel's Meet the Press program, to be aired on Saturday.

According to Livni, "the test ought to be what will bring more votes to those who can oust Netanyahu." Livni added: "A joint list is essential, and will lead to better results than if each of us runs separately."

"When there's hope that Netanyahu can be replaced, he will be," Livni said.

On Thursday, sources in Meretz and Labor said the two parties would not form a joint Knesset list to form a center-left bloc in the upcoming elections. Labor officials are in talks for setting up a joint list with Yesh Atid, Hatnuah and Kadima, and according to assessments, the four parties will decide by next week whether to form an alliance for establishing a centrist bloc.

[LehmanB]

The parties wanted to stay, Netanyahu did it to the surprise of all. Netanyahu thought he has better chances to form better coalition. He was also worried that Livni is planning to withdrawn now. And more important, Lapid was a stubborn guy that doesn't understand economics, and Netanyahu's government was paralised. With the Haredim (Orthodox) the government runs smoothly, they demand some sectorial money and they allow in return stability and functionality. Lapid didn't cooporate Netanyahu, and only now he understood he went too far, but Netanyahu didn't want to retreat. I think its silly for him cause he won't get so better- many wioll continue to vote for small parties. And Lapid is the idiot of all, wasted his golden chance to influence, instead of learning from Netanyahu (he has similar agenda), he endlessly struggled and nothing was done.

[wat0n]

So, Livni seems to have joined Labor's list, and they would form the biggest party in the Knesset. I wish them luck in these elections, Bibi has to go.

[Wrath_014]

So, Livni seems to have joined Labor's list, and they would form the biggest party in the Knesset. I wish them luck in these elections, Bibi has to go.

Must go.

[LehmanB]

Not as long as I am here

[Gletkin]

Livni, Herzog slam Netanyahu: He's weak against terrorism
Holding ceasefire negotiations with Hamas is giving them 'the false message that the state of Israel only acts when it's being forced to,' Livni says......
....."Netanyahu is weak in the fight against terrorism," Livni said.
"Hamas is a terror organization. There's no hope for peace with them and the only way to deal with them is using force," she went on to say. "The prime minister wrote great books on how to fight terrorism, but at the end of the day he's the one talking to them, negotiating with them, which gives them the false message that the state of Israel only acts when it's being forced to."

What is it about the center-left that they always pander to right-wing hawkishness?

Earlier this year Livni more cogently questioned Israel's reluctance to deal with the issue of the settlements. If Israel is serious about the two-state solution it should be withdrawing settlements, not expanding them. But with news of an imminent new election apparently she wants to try to convince voters she's harder than Bibi!?

[wat0n]

They simply want to highlight that the right is not really as tough on terrorism as it claims to be. Being tough on terrorism and opposing settlement building are not mutually exclusive policies and if anything that's basically how Israeli centrists think Israel should act - they want to leave the West Bank but don't trust the Palestinians' intentions on the matter.

She's basically trying to reach centrist voters.

[LehmanB]

In Israel traditionaly the Leftists launch the wars. Usualy under the rightists there is less terrorism, and no effective wars, except awkward weak opporations. The leftists are better on striking.

[Gletkin]

Sounds like Cold War America.
Korea, Bay of Pigs and Operation Mongoose, Vietnam....all this was started under "liberal" Democratic presidents.

Anyway, regarding being "tough on the Arabs" what is Hatnuah/Labor going to do what Kadima and Labor haven't already tried already back when they were in power?

[wat0n]

Nothing, the difference (it seems) is that they'll try to change the course on other policy, possibly settlements.

[Gletkin]

If it's highly likely they'll end up treating Hamas pretty much the same I'd rather they focus on those other different policies. After all isn't the whole point to offer an alternative?
Her words quoted make her sound as if she's trying to be even more warlike than Bibi. Is the general mood of the Israeli electorate that hawkish, that the center-left feels compelled to sell themselves that way?

[wat0n]

They certainly don't trust Hamas. But in its case I think the issue is a bit different, after all the post war talks collapsed because Egypt refused to host them due to the attack by Islamists from Gaza in the Sinai.

Without Egypt, there can't be any talks.

[redcarpet]

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.631210

Prime Ministership-rotation deal reached. Not unprecedented. This article is critical of it, from Haaretz.

[LehmanB]

The issue in Israel now is not of being tough or soft on Arabs. The main issue is finally internal- economic- social. And for the conflict with the Arabs it is debated on the settling policy, no more. Being "tough" on your enemies is not really what you will consider on this elections. It is the soft small agenda- liberalism, capitalism, settling; that makes the difference.

The Likud (Netanyahu) slowly makes privatization, and leftists can't stand the slight change in media, in public services, even in status of teachers and education. Private companies are everywhere. Last election also, the economic-social policy was in the highlight- the prices of real-estate, social justice- will Haredim serve in the army, welfare, policy of deficit.

But you should know that Netanyahu built the least in the WB of all recent prime ministers. The leftists actually settle more. And the Likud, the rightists, have acually given most of our territories to our neighbours.

However, in internal issues- the Likud is great since it allows rightist media through liberal privatizations of endless sectors and private rich sector that have grown stronger under Netanyahu. All of that creates a new distribution of power and influence, instead of the former leftists eilte complete influence on Israel.

An important difference is also that the labor actively seek relations and agreements with our enemies, whereas Netanyahu prefers the frozen status (including freezing settlements). But he made a boost to Israeli and Palestinian economies (but without official agreements of peace). So despite the Likud given up territories- many of the active agreements are initiate by the leftists and here is the great dammage.

Usualy there is much more terrorism under leftists (Rabin, Barak), than under the likud. Partly because the leftists are bad for both's economies, and because they seek political agreements and public peace that furiates some sectors of Arabs.