Israel hung knesset PM in rotation
2009-02-19 03:39:18 - Peres received the results by the CEC chairman, Supreme Court Justice Eliezer Rivlin, Peres said committee members he was certain "a blessed partnership" would be formed, and said he was confident Israel's leaders would have the country's best interests in mind throughout the process.
President Shimon Peres orks coalition with knesset factions to give top slot to one of the leader of party leaders along with the task of forming the next government after consultations with delegations from each of the 12 parties that won seats in the next Knesset parliament. Kadima secured 28 seats in the Knesset election, while Likud took 27 seats,YIsrael Beiteinu scored 15,Labor party languished at 13,Shas won 11,Jewish home a conglomerate of two won 3,United Tohrah Judaism won 5,United arab List-Ta'al at 4,National Union won 4,New movement-Meretz got 3,Balad won 3 were the major parties in the 120-member parliament.
The three left-wing parties of Kadima, Labor and Meretz combined received just 44 seats in the Knesset (not including the 3 Arab parties), while the right came home with 65.
In terms of the overall vote, the split was equally pronounced, with the left receiving 35.4 percent, or barely over a third of the votes, while the right got 52.4 percent for an unambiguous majority.In other words, Israel's religious and nationalist parties received a whopping 50% more votes than the parties on the left.
Indeed, both Labor and Meretz, two of the bulwarks of Israel's left for the past few decades, suffered punishing and humiliating defeats.
Peres trying to convince Netanyahu and Livni to form a Kadima-Likud unity government or consider the possibility of a rotation government.His consultations begin last night, said, 'I am sure an atmosphere of co-operation will emerge, with the good of the country uppermost on everyone's mind.'
Centrist Kadima, which won 28 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, asked the president that its leader, foreign minister Tzipi Livni, be called to head the government being largest party, be prime minister.Right-wing Likud delegation argued that its leader, former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should be given the task of forming the government, even though Likud won one less seat than Kadima.
But key one in formation of coalition is with Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu.Political experts express Mr Lieberman will not endorse either candidate, may ask the president to clean the mess is a Likud-Kadima-Yisrael Beiteinu national unity government.Mr Lieberman close to Likud, but sees eye-to-eye with Kadima on issues of religion and state, important to many of his Russian-speaking voters.
Labor and Meretz, two of the bulwarks of Israel's left for the past few decades, suffered punishing and humiliating defeats.
The once-vaunted Labor Party, which played such a central role in founding the State more than sixty years ago, was summarily cut down to size, reaping just 13 seats in the Knesset. That is the party's worst showing in its history, consigning it to virtual political insignificance. It is akin to the New York Yankees coming in last in the American League East.
No wonder one political analyst dubbed the elections as "the night they turned out the lights in the Labor Party".
Meretz, too, which has been the vanguard of Israel's peace movement since its founding in 1992, was also dealt a heavy blow. The party was nearly wiped off the map, barely managing to win 3 seats and thereby squeak past the minimum threshold required to enter parliament. At its peak back in the 1990s, Meretz had 12 seats in the Knesset, and during Ehud Barak's brief tenure as premier it was represented by three ministers serving in his cabinet.
At the Gaza the truce is still maintained.Israel has said that it would not open border crossings with the Gaza Strip until Hamas agrees to release abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit told reporters in Jerusalem after the hours-long meeting that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet has agreed that it would be inconceivable for Israel to accept an Egyptian-proposed cease-fire calling for reopening border crossings to more than limited humanitarian aid without Shalit's release.
Earlier exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshal had accused Israel of adding in a new condition at the last minute in an attempt to thwart Egyptian efforts to reach a truce. He told reporters in Damascus after meeting with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa in Damascus that truce issue should not be linked to the issue of prisoner Shalit. He declared that no truce is possible unless the blockade is lifted and the crossings are opened.
Meanwhile Israeli warplanes have bombed seven smuggling tunnels on Egyptian border in Gaza and a Hamas post in the Khan Younis this morning. According to Israeli military spokesperson these tunnels were used to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip. The spokesman said the strikes were in response to rocket and mortar fire into southern Israel from the coastal strip.
President Shimon Peres orks coalition with knesset factions to give top slot to one of the leader of party leaders along with the task of forming the next government after consultations with delegations from each of the 12 parties that won seats in the next Knesset parliament. Kadima secured 28 seats in the Knesset election, while Likud took 27 seats,YIsrael Beiteinu scored 15,Labor party languished at 13,Shas won 11,Jewish home a conglomerate of two won 3,United Tohrah Judaism won 5,United arab List-Ta'al at 4,National Union won 4,New movement-Meretz got 3,Balad won 3 were the major parties in the 120-member parliament.
The three left-wing parties of Kadima, Labor and Meretz combined received just 44 seats in the Knesset (not including the 3 Arab parties), while the right came home with 65.
In terms of the overall vote, the split was equally pronounced, with the left receiving 35.4 percent, or barely over a third of the votes, while the right got 52.4 percent for an unambiguous majority.In other words, Israel's religious and nationalist parties received a whopping 50% more votes than the parties on the left.
Indeed, both Labor and Meretz, two of the bulwarks of Israel's left for the past few decades, suffered punishing and humiliating defeats.
Peres trying to convince Netanyahu and Livni to form a Kadima-Likud unity government or consider the possibility of a rotation government.His consultations begin last night, said, 'I am sure an atmosphere of co-operation will emerge, with the good of the country uppermost on everyone's mind.'
Centrist Kadima, which won 28 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, asked the president that its leader, foreign minister Tzipi Livni, be called to head the government being largest party, be prime minister.Right-wing Likud delegation argued that its leader, former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should be given the task of forming the government, even though Likud won one less seat than Kadima.
But key one in formation of coalition is with Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu.Political experts express Mr Lieberman will not endorse either candidate, may ask the president to clean the mess is a Likud-Kadima-Yisrael Beiteinu national unity government.Mr Lieberman close to Likud, but sees eye-to-eye with Kadima on issues of religion and state, important to many of his Russian-speaking voters.
Labor and Meretz, two of the bulwarks of Israel's left for the past few decades, suffered punishing and humiliating defeats.
The once-vaunted Labor Party, which played such a central role in founding the State more than sixty years ago, was summarily cut down to size, reaping just 13 seats in the Knesset. That is the party's worst showing in its history, consigning it to virtual political insignificance. It is akin to the New York Yankees coming in last in the American League East.
No wonder one political analyst dubbed the elections as "the night they turned out the lights in the Labor Party".
Meretz, too, which has been the vanguard of Israel's peace movement since its founding in 1992, was also dealt a heavy blow. The party was nearly wiped off the map, barely managing to win 3 seats and thereby squeak past the minimum threshold required to enter parliament. At its peak back in the 1990s, Meretz had 12 seats in the Knesset, and during Ehud Barak's brief tenure as premier it was represented by three ministers serving in his cabinet.
At the Gaza the truce is still maintained.Israel has said that it would not open border crossings with the Gaza Strip until Hamas agrees to release abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit told reporters in Jerusalem after the hours-long meeting that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet has agreed that it would be inconceivable for Israel to accept an Egyptian-proposed cease-fire calling for reopening border crossings to more than limited humanitarian aid without Shalit's release.
Earlier exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshal had accused Israel of adding in a new condition at the last minute in an attempt to thwart Egyptian efforts to reach a truce. He told reporters in Damascus after meeting with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa in Damascus that truce issue should not be linked to the issue of prisoner Shalit. He declared that no truce is possible unless the blockade is lifted and the crossings are opened.
Meanwhile Israeli warplanes have bombed seven smuggling tunnels on Egyptian border in Gaza and a Hamas post in the Khan Younis this morning. According to Israeli military spokesperson these tunnels were used to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip. The spokesman said the strikes were in response to rocket and mortar fire into southern Israel from the coastal strip.
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