Likud Charter Does Not Recognize Palestine
By Frank Barat – London, Palestine Chronicle, 31 January 2009
In a few weeks, on February the 10th, Israel will elect its new leaders during legislative elections. The three main contenders are Tzipi Livni from the Kadima party (Ariel Sharon’s party), Ehud Barak from the Labour party and Benyamin Netanyahu from the Likud party.
Before the Gaza “war”, it was a two-horse race: Livni against Netanyahu, with Netanyahu leading by a good margin in all the polls. The race became a three-horse one thanks to the Gaza “war” launched by Livni and Barak. Barak saw his ratings surge and is now back in the race. Even if he does not get elected, his party will get quite a few more seats than it had planned a few months ago.
But the frontrunner has always been Benyamin Netanyahu and he remains, in the eyes of the majority of Israel’s journalists (Gideon Levy from Haaretz) or activists (Jeff Halper from ICAHD), the more than probable future PM.
Israel’s nuclear hawk Avigdor Lieberman in poll surge
Uzi Mahnaimi, Tel Aviv, The Sunday Times, 1 February 2009
AN ultra-rightwinger, who is said to favour flattening Tehran if Iran develops nuclear weapons, has emerged as the politician gaining the most ground in next week’s general election in Israel.
Avigdor Lieberman, 50, is advancing so rapidly in the polls that his Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) party is set to overtake Labour and become the third largest party in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
In a recent interview Lieberman said: “I definitely see myself as ready for the post of defence minister.” Although it is unlikely he would be granted access to Israel’s nuclear arsenal, he could be in line for a senior post in a coalition government led by Binyamin Netanyahu, head of the centre-right Likud party and frontrunner in the polls.