Netanyahu’s Unity Govt Ambition Remains as Future Talks Planned

Rival Likud Member Slams Notion of Unity Govt

by Jason Ditz, February 22, 2009

Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu seems like he’s got a good chance of forming a right-wing government at some point in the next month and a half, but he hasn’t given up on his pre-election goal of a unity government. Talks today with the Kadima party didn’t end with anything close to a deal, but more are now scheduled.

“There is no reason not to,” was Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni’s reasoning for why she agreed to further talks, even though she has repeatedly said she has no intention of joining a Netanyahu-led coalition. Without the Kadima party Likud would be stuck trying to form a far-right coalition with a narrow majority and a lot of internal animosity.

But firebrand Likud member Moshe Feiglin wouldn’t have it any other way. The Netanyahu rival publicly condemned the notion of a unity government today, saying voters had chosen a right-wing government and that to do otherwise “equals a bullet to democracy’s head.”

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