John Lyons, Middle East correspondent | February 20, 2009
ISRAEL'S new political powerbroker Avigdor Lieberman has announced he will support Benjamin Netanyahu to be the country's next prime minister.
The leader of the the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party declared he would support a government formed by the hawkish Likud leader over Kadima's Tzipi Livni.
Mr Lieberman had refused to publicly reveal who he will support since last week's election in which his party won 15 seats, making it the country's third-largest party in the Knesset behind Kadima and Likud, and ahead of Labour, which won 14.
He had said only that he wanted to see a right-wing government in power.
The momentum towards Mr Netanyahu and the Right bloc had strengthened with an apparent decision by a large number of the Knesset members to support the Likud leader.
The Jerusalem Post reported yesterday that factions comprising 77 members of the Knesset had decided at meetings yesterday not to join any prospective government led by Ms Livni.
It reported that apart from Likud these factions included United Torah Judaism, Shas, Habayit Hayehudi and the National Union.
The paper said: "When the Labour faction meets (on) Thursday morning, it is expected to join Meretz and the three Arab parties in deciding to remain in the opposition no matter who forms a government, to protest the assurances that Kadima gave Yisrael Beiteinu in pursuit of Lieberman's endorsement."
Although Kadima won 28 seats in the election, compared to Likud's 27, the Right bloc won more seats than the Centre Left bloc. For this to benefit Mr Netanyahu the bloc would need to remain as one behind Mr Netanyahu - which it appears to have done.
President Shimon Peres was meeting party officials overnight (AEDT) before deciding who would be tasked with forming a new government. Under the constitution, Mr Peres is required to make a judgment about who is most likely to form a stable coalition government.
Both Mr Netanyahu and Ms Livni had said they would support a national unity government with the other as part of it - each stipulating they be the leader.
In another development, Israel's cabinet met yesterday and decided there would be no longer-term ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza unless the Israeli soldier captured in 2006, Gilad Shalit, was released.
A fragile ceasefire exists but the Israeli cabinet and Hamas have been considering a more formal 18-month ceasefire plan negotiated by Egypt.
The cabinet unanimously supported the sudden insistence of the outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that no deal would be considered without the 22-year-old's release.
The Egyptian proposal would see Hamas' central demand - that all crossings between Israel and Gaza be opened - in return for Israel's two main demands: the end of rocket fire into southern Israel and the end of weapons smuggling into Gaza along the Egyptian border.
The Israeli cabinet said after its meeting: "Israel is not negotiating with Hamas or any other terrorist organisation to reach understandings or arrangements with it on a ceasefire. Israel will respond quickly, strongly and continuously to the continuation of terrorist actions against it from the Gaza strip."
Some humanitarian aid is able to pass through the border crossings but the cabinet statement said "expanded activity" would be discussed only upon the release of Sergeant Shalit.
Hamas has insisted his release be negotiated separately in an exchange involving hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails.
Meanwhile US Democrat Congressmen Brian Baird and Keith Ellison landed in Gaza yesterday, in the first such visit since Hamas took power there in June 2007.
The two visited Izzbet Abed Rabbo, a community in northern Gaza devastated during the deadly 22-day Israeli offensive that ended on January 18.
ISRAEL'S new political powerbroker Avigdor Lieberman has announced he will support Benjamin Netanyahu to be the country's next prime minister.
The leader of the the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party declared he would support a government formed by the hawkish Likud leader over Kadima's Tzipi Livni.
Mr Lieberman had refused to publicly reveal who he will support since last week's election in which his party won 15 seats, making it the country's third-largest party in the Knesset behind Kadima and Likud, and ahead of Labour, which won 14.
He had said only that he wanted to see a right-wing government in power.
The momentum towards Mr Netanyahu and the Right bloc had strengthened with an apparent decision by a large number of the Knesset members to support the Likud leader.
The Jerusalem Post reported yesterday that factions comprising 77 members of the Knesset had decided at meetings yesterday not to join any prospective government led by Ms Livni.
It reported that apart from Likud these factions included United Torah Judaism, Shas, Habayit Hayehudi and the National Union.
The paper said: "When the Labour faction meets (on) Thursday morning, it is expected to join Meretz and the three Arab parties in deciding to remain in the opposition no matter who forms a government, to protest the assurances that Kadima gave Yisrael Beiteinu in pursuit of Lieberman's endorsement."
Although Kadima won 28 seats in the election, compared to Likud's 27, the Right bloc won more seats than the Centre Left bloc. For this to benefit Mr Netanyahu the bloc would need to remain as one behind Mr Netanyahu - which it appears to have done.
President Shimon Peres was meeting party officials overnight (AEDT) before deciding who would be tasked with forming a new government. Under the constitution, Mr Peres is required to make a judgment about who is most likely to form a stable coalition government.
Both Mr Netanyahu and Ms Livni had said they would support a national unity government with the other as part of it - each stipulating they be the leader.
In another development, Israel's cabinet met yesterday and decided there would be no longer-term ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza unless the Israeli soldier captured in 2006, Gilad Shalit, was released.
A fragile ceasefire exists but the Israeli cabinet and Hamas have been considering a more formal 18-month ceasefire plan negotiated by Egypt.
The cabinet unanimously supported the sudden insistence of the outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that no deal would be considered without the 22-year-old's release.
The Egyptian proposal would see Hamas' central demand - that all crossings between Israel and Gaza be opened - in return for Israel's two main demands: the end of rocket fire into southern Israel and the end of weapons smuggling into Gaza along the Egyptian border.
The Israeli cabinet said after its meeting: "Israel is not negotiating with Hamas or any other terrorist organisation to reach understandings or arrangements with it on a ceasefire. Israel will respond quickly, strongly and continuously to the continuation of terrorist actions against it from the Gaza strip."
Some humanitarian aid is able to pass through the border crossings but the cabinet statement said "expanded activity" would be discussed only upon the release of Sergeant Shalit.
Hamas has insisted his release be negotiated separately in an exchange involving hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails.
Meanwhile US Democrat Congressmen Brian Baird and Keith Ellison landed in Gaza yesterday, in the first such visit since Hamas took power there in June 2007.
The two visited Izzbet Abed Rabbo, a community in northern Gaza devastated during the deadly 22-day Israeli offensive that ended on January 18.
Source: The Australian
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