Livni Rejects Joining a Netanyahu Govt

Israeli Foreign Minister and Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni has "no intention of being in a unity government headed by" Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a note she passed to outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during the weekly Israeli cabinet meeting....

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Likud Ready to Meet Lieberman Demands

Likud officials are reporting that the party is willing to meet two of Avigdor Lieberman's major demands for his Yisrael Beiteinu party to endorse them in the next government: easing the legal requirements for conversion to Judaism and allowing civil unions for those...

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Unity Government Offer May Tear Kadima Apart

Ayelet Frish, the spokeswoman for Israeli President Shimon Peres, detailed the President's timeline for selecting which party will get first crack at forming the next Israeli government. "The president will start consultations on Wednesday night. He will meet...

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Hamas: 18 Month Gaza Truce to Be Announced in 2-3 Days

The Hamas government has announced that the agreement for an 18-month truce agreement in the Gaza Strip has been agreed to, and will be announced by the Egyptian government within the next two or three days. Taher al-Nono, a member of their Cairo delegation, says the...

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Israel Coalition Wrangling Could Take Months

The next Israeli government could take awhile. The final results of the election will be certified on February 18, and Israeli President Shimon Peres will then have 10 additional days to charge either Tzipi Livni or Benjamin Netanyahu with attempting to form a...

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Can Israel Ultra-Orthodox Bloc Block Lieberman?

The 15 seats of Yisrael Beiteinu would be extremely valuable to either Kadima or Likud in forming a coalition government. The Shas Party is hoping an alliance with United Torah Judaism, which would offer a combined 16 seats, will be even more valuable. Both Shas and...

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Israeli Rivals Share Hawkish Views on Iran, Hamas

Will it be hawkish Kadima leader Tzipi Livni, or really hawkish Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu? The foreign policy of these two prospective coalition leaders may be different around the edges, but on the most serious issues, it simply won't matter much. Both ran...

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Netanyahu Leading ‘Winner’ Livni to Head Govt

The quest for a coalition government in Israel could take weeks after yesterday's elections left Tzipi Livni's Kadima Party with a narrow lead in the number of seats but a very difficult path to forming a coalition. While both Kadima and rival Likud were celebrating...

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