In her address before the President’s Conference in Jerusalem on Monday, premiership candidate and Kadima leader Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni stated “a leader’s job is not to highlight the differences between us but that which unites us.

Referring to Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu and the outcome of the election, she stated, “At present, we both have a problem. Neither one of us has 65 [seats for a majority coalition]. Only I can form a coalition government…I do not plan to become a fig leaf for a paralyzed government. A rotation agreement is not on the table at present. If it becomes a viable option, I will consider the possibility”.

Perhaps strengthening Kadima’s position somewhat was Monday’s meeting between Kadima negotiator Minister Chaim Ramon and Yisrael Beitenu chief negotiator Stas Misezhnikov, with the latter reporting Kadima has agreed to almost all of the party’s demands for entering a coalition headed by Kadima.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)