Israeli President Shimon Peres has tapped Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu to make the first attempt to form a coalition government in the wake of last week's elections. The announcement was widely expected after Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman endorsed...
Lieberman Demands Enormous Concessions to Join Likud Govt
While the endorsement of Yisrael Beiteinu chief Avigdor Lieberman has likely secured the Likud Party the first opportunity to form a coalition government, but getting the controversial right-winger to actually join that coalition is going to cost would-be Prime...
Livni Would Consider Joining Likud Coalition, If Lieberman Is Involved
While earlier today Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni seemed resigned to putting her Kadima party in the opposition, she is now backing off of those claims. Now the Kadima head says she would be open to joining a Likud-led coalition, but under certain conditions....
Netanyahu Scores Key Endorsements
A key endorsement from Avigdor Lieberman this morning is likely to secure Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party the first opportunity to form the next Israeli government. The 15 seats of Yisrael Beiteinu will bring the total of supporters of Netanyahu's position up to 65...
Fireworks Expected as Israeli President Begins Coalition Talks
Israeli President Shimon Peres today began a series of talks with the leaders of the nations various political parties, and will in the next few days determine which party gets the first opportunity to attempt to form a coalition government. Though the post-election...
Likud Threatens to Cut Lieberman Out of Next Govt
Israeli President Shimon Peres will begin talks with political parties tomorrow as the first stage of making his decision which party to charge with attempting to form a coalition government. The most interesting meeting however will be on Thursday morning, when Peres...
Courting Lieberman May Cost Livni Support
While the Kadima Party ended up finishing first in last week's election, their path to forming a coalition appears to be a rocky one, and even as the rival Likud Party's own bloc falters Kadima seems to have struggled to hold on to what little support they had. Though...
Israel Undermining NPT, ElBaradei Warns
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei says that Israel's status as the Middle East's only nuclear power and its only non-signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a major obstacle to efforts for global nuclear disarmament. "What compounds the problem is that...
Kadima, Lieberman Mulling Non-Religious Bloc
While most people had assumed that Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman would eventually wind up in the camp of the Likud Party, it seems that a public snub by Likud and growing efforts by the Kadima Party may put him into the centrist party's bloc. "Bibi doesn't...
Olmert: No Shipments to Gaza Until Soldier Freed
The Israeli cabinet may be presented with the terms of a Gaza ceasefire as soon as Wednesday, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says that the ceasefire will not mean the opening of border crossings into the strip, which Israel has kept closed to all but the bare minimum...


