Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu, who came second in Tuesday’s Knesset election with 27 seats, has invited his main opponent, Kadima party leader Tzipi Livni, to join a unity government under his leadership. Under the plans, Livni, whose party came first in the polls with 28 seats, would keep her present job of foreign minister while Kadima deputy leader and erstwhile Livni rival Shaul Mofaz would become defense minister.
Netanyahu feels confident enough to make this offer and bid for the premiership because the right-wing block of parties won 65 of the 120 seats in the new Knesset. "I plan to create a wide coalition and I will tell the other parties, 'if you're worried about national interest, lay aside your political interests and join a government under my leadership'," he told ‘Ha’aretz’. Netanyahu is also expected to offer the key Cabinet post of finance minister to Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman, in order to pull the latter immediately into pledging to join a government under his authority.
The final election results were to be announced later on Thursday, after tallying soldiers' votes that could tip the balance in the ongoing battle to lead the country. More than 150,000 ballots, cast mainly in military camps, as well as in prisons and Israeli diplomat missions, are still in play after Tuesday's national poll. This could still change the final number of seats each party has.
