Livni (Kadima) vs Netanyahu (Likud)

[Astronuc]

Israel's Livni: Today the people chose Kadima
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_election

JERUSALEM (AP) — A partial count of votes shows Israel's election is too close to call.

Israel's Central Elections Committee said Wednesday that with 27 percent of votes counted, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's centrist Kadima Party is narrowly in first place with 27 of parliament's 120 seats.

Benjamin Netanyahu's hawkish Likud Party was right behind with 26.

She is currently acting-PM, but with this election, she would become PM.

It's a close election, although Livni is claiming victory. But so does Netanyahu.

Netanyahu, Livni declare win in Israeli election
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_election_31


Five facts about Tzipi Livni
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20090210/tpl-uk-israel-election-livni-factbox-43a8d4f.html

Netanyahu and Lieberman are too much like Bush. They work to make enemies and trouble.

 

[mgb_phys]

It's a close election, although Livni is claiming victory. But so does Netanyahu.

Do they settle it with tanks?

 

[turbo]

Do they settle it with tanks?

Or perhaps with political assassination? Netanyahu has promised continued war until Hamas is destroyed, which is very popular with the right-wing, including the "settlers" that Livni has publicly identified as major obstructions to Israeli-Palestine peace. If she wins out, she'd better not make public appearances.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I like the idea of a prime minister named "Zippy". Yow!

 

[Gokul43201]

Livni has been moving farther and farther to the right over the last few months. I imagine that helped cut into some of BN's demographic.

Like playing The Price is Right with one other player, it doesn't help to bid any lower than $1 below your opponent.

 

[LowlyPion]

I like the idea of a prime minister named "Zippy". Yow!

That's where I come out on it too.

Tzipi Livni what a great name.

 

[lisab]

That's where I come out on it too.

Tzipi Livni what a great name.

...um, I donno...I think of Tzipi the Pin-Headed Prime Minister...

 

[Vanadium 50]

Tzipi: Am I prime minister yet?

 

[Astronuc]

Apparently neither Livni, nor her chief rival Netanyahu, received a clear majority, so

Inconclusive election puts Israel, peace in limbo
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090211/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_politics

JERUSALEM – Inconclusive election results sent Israel into political limbo Wednesday with both Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and hard-line leader Benjamin Netanyahu claiming victory and leaving the kingmaker role to a rising political hawk with an anti-Arab platform.

Livni's Kadima Party won 28 seats, just one more than Netanyahu's Likud, in Tuesday's election for the 120-member parliament, according to nearly complete results. Both held victory rallies, but without a clear majority neither can govern alone. Hard-line parties won a majority of the votes, meaning that Netanyahu has more natural allies and a better chance of forming a coalition.

The results set the stage for what could be weeks of coalition negotiations. The first meetings began Wednesday, with Netanyahu meeting the head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas faction and Livni meeting Avigdor Lieberman, whose ultranationalist party received 15 seats and emerged as the third-largest force in parliament.

Two of the more likely options would see a hard-line government led by Netanyahu, leaving Livni in the opposition, or some form of accommodation between the two in the form of a centrist coalition in which they would share power.

Whatever government is forged, it is unlikely to move quickly toward peace talks with the Palestinians and instead could find itself on a collision course with President Barack Obama, who has said he's making a Mideast peace deal a priority.

. . . .