Likud wants Kadima in coalition government .

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 02:42:02 GMT | PressTV

The rivals fighting for power in Israel, Tzipi Livni and Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel's Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu says he is eager to include the Kadima party in a unity government under his leadership.

"Netanyahu would be willing to accommodate Kadima in order to include it in a unity government led by him, but first Livni must set petty politics aside and place the country's interests first," the far-right Likud party said in a statement issued Saturday evening, Ynet reported.

The statement added, "It is unfortunate that Tzipi Livni is unwilling to accept the will of the vast majority of the people, who want Netanyahu as prime minister, and refuses to join a unity government under his leadership."

The statement comes as Likud has already begun wheedling Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni to enter a joint center-right coalition.

Netanyahu has garnered 65 mandates in the general elections whereas Livni secured only half that number.

Livni has, meanwhile, stated that the Kadima party should seriously consider rejecting the idea of joining Netanyahu and lead the opposition instead. Kadima leaders have scheduled a meeting for Sunday to discuss the options available to the party.

Chairman of Kadima's faction in the Knesset, Yoel Hasson, told Ynet that "Kadima must not enter the coalition and make an extreme-right government under Netanyahu seem Kosher. That sort of government will never be able to lead a diplomatic process or change the method of government."