Il «governone » nasce stanco

CORRIERE DELLA SERA

Israele, il compromesso del nuovo esecutivo

Oggi alla Knesset il premier incaricato Netaniayahu presenta la sua squadra di 30 ministri

Un “governone” forte nei numeri, ma stanco, privo di vere iniziative, ripiegato su se stesso. E una coalizione che sarà inevitabilmente di transizione, destinata a gestire in modo mediocre una congiuntura politica grigia, dove non ci saranno forti slanci al dialogo con i palestinesi soprattutto perché non ci sono le condizioni reali per un negoziato di sostanza.

ANALISI / L’accordo di Governo sancisce la fine del partito laburista

Il Sole 24 Ore

di Ugo Tramballi

24 marzo 2009

E’ ancora difficile capire a cosa porterà l’accordo di governo fra Bibi Netanyahu e Ehud Barak riguardo alla pace, alla stabilità regionale e interna, alla forza della maggioranza in Parlamento. La cosa più probabile, al momento, sembra solo la fine del partito laburista.

Lieberman in line for prominent Israeli post

THE NATIONAL

TEL AVIV // Avigdor Lieberman, an ultra-nationalist who has called for the execution of Israeli Palestinian legislators and once said Egypt’s president, Hosni Mubarak, should “go to hell”, may be tapped as Israel’s foreign minister in an appointment likely to create a stir both at home and abroad.

Mr Lieberman was due to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu, the right-wing Likud leader charged with forming a government, late yesterday for a discussion described by Israeli media as decisive.

All eyes on Clinton’s maiden trip to region

THE NATIONAL

TEL AVIV // As Hillary Clinton begins her first official visit to Israel in Jerusalem and Ramallah today since becoming US secretary of state, commentators warned that Washington may find itself at odds with the next Israeli leadership on the future of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Mrs Clinton, who began her first Middle Eastern tour yesterday by attending the Gaza reconstruction conference in Egypt, is due to meet Israeli officials today and Palestinian leaders tomorrow.

Netanyahu eyes hawkish cabinet

TEL AVIV // On the eve of the first visit to the Middle East by Hillary Clinton since she became US secretary of state, Israel is closer to forming a hardline government expected to hamper US-led peace efforts in the region. Benjamin Netanyahu, the hawkish Likud leader and the designated prime minister, failed on Friday to reach an agreement with Tzipi Livni, the head of the Kadima movement and his chief rival for the premiership, on joining forces in a unity government.

Netanyahu Fails Again to Sway Livni

WASHINGTON POST

JERUSALEM, Feb. 27 — Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday failed a second time to win Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni’s agreement to join a government of national unity, increasing the likelihood that Israel will be led by a narrow coalition of parties opposed to or skeptical of talks with the Palestinians.

After meeting with Livni, Netanyahu told reporters that he had offered her centrist Kadima party full partnership in the government and two of the three top cabinet posts — foreign minister, defense minister and finance minister — but that she turned him down.

No deal in Israel coalition talks

BBC NEWS

27 February 2009

Israel’s prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu says talks to include the centrist Kadima party in a coalition have ended without agreement.

The Likud leader said he had faced “categorical rejection” in 90-minute talks with Kadima leader Tzipi Livni.

Minutes earlier, Mrs Livni said the meeting “concluded without agreement on key issues”.

Mr Netanyahu has been tasked with forming a government in the wake of elections earlier this month.

In other regional developments, Israel’s military attacked alleged smuggling tunnels in Gaza on Thursday, in what it said was retaliation for earlier rocket launches.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has been touring Gaza and expressed his support for its reconstruction, as the European Commission said it was ready to pledge 436m euros (£389m) in aid.

Israeli right joins coalition bid

BBC NEWS

26 February 2009

Israel’s Likud party has met parties of the far right and religious right for talks on forming the next government.

Earlier talks with Likud’s centrist rivals could not agree on terms, though Likud leader and one-time PM Benjamin Netanyahu is sill hopeful of a deal.

The centrist Kadima party won one more seat than Likud in the 10 February poll but Likud was asked to form a coalition as it had more support from other MPs.

The coalition makeup is seen as crucial in securing Palestinian-Israeli peace.

Analysts say a government of right-wingers and Orthodox Jews who champion settlement-building and oppose land-for-peace deals might jeopardise prospects for peace.

A more moderate-looking government which included Kadima and the centre-left Labour party might find more favour with Israel’s international backers, they say.

Don’t change system

Yedioth Ahronoth

No need to change system of government just because leftist camp lost elections
Shlomo Angel

In the wake of the elections, everyone discovered the problem of governability in Israeli democracy. In Israel, it is apparently very difficult for the elected government to implement policy and rule, and there is almost no government or Knesset that is able to complete a full term in office. We have too many parties around here.

This problem was met with a plethora of proposed solutions, such as a radical change to the system as proposed by Avigdor Lieberman, or like the changes within the existing system proposed by the Israel Democracy Institute.

However, there is in fact no governability problem at all in Israel.

By indictment or by upheaval?

Haaretz

Amit Segal

Look at them, the 120 people who will stand at the Knesset assembly this afternoon. Their finest suits will be adorned with decorative flowers. Their ranks will include 21 women, eight journalists, two converts. Statistics hint to us that somewhere there are also three future indictments, 10 investigations and an undisclosed number of regretful ethical embarrassments.