Lieberman & Netanyahu join forces ahead of upcoming elections

PM & FM  announced united Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu majority

Strategic  move meant to ensure Netanyahu will form upcoming gov’t

By Yuval Karni

 

Dramatic development: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman have met to convene a special press conference on Thursday evening in which they declared that they have negotiated to unite the Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu under one ticket ahead of the upcoming elections.

Netanyahu and Lieberman Photo: EPA

Netanyahu and Lieberman Photo: EPA

The dramatic decision was made after secret negotiations between the two men with senior officials from both parties left out of the loop.

The move was aimed at creating the largest list in the Knesset elections thus guaranteeing that Netanyahu will form the next government.

The Likud Central Committee is set to convene on Tuesday to ratify the agreement.

It is estimated that many Likud ministers and Knesset members will oppose the move.

Netanyahu had apparently feared that former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s return to the fold would threaten the Likud’s chances of winning the elections.

Photos: Ohad Zwigenberg, Ofer Amram, Haim Zach, Ido Erez

Ynet Photos by: Ohad Zwigenberg, Ofer Amram, Haim Zach, Ido Erez

Having reached an agreement with Lieberman, Netanyahu conferred to several Likud officials on Thursday afternoon including Moshe Kahlon who has recently announced he was quitting politics.

 

Yuval Karni is a Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth correspondent
View original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4297100,00.html