Livni: Center-Left must form united bloc against PM

Tzipi Livni Party leader Tzipi Livni on Friday called on Center-Left parties to form a united front to prevent the re-election of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

In an interview with Channel 2, Livni claimed that her party, in conjunction with Shelly Yacimovich's Labor and Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid, were projected to win more seats than Netanyahu's joint Likud-Beytenu list and could thus form a coalition government following the January 22 elections.

Livni said that a meeting with both Yacimovich and Lapid could take place as early as Saturday, and that the three were in agreement that a Netanyahu-led goverment "would lead to the downfall of the state of Israel."

Livni hinted that she was willing to compromise on her previous insistence that she be the one to head a Center Left bloc, saying that she was prepared "to put all of the personal considerations aside."

Livni stressed, however, that her goal was not to unite the Center-Left parties into a singular unit, but rather to work together towards the common goal of displacing Netanyahu.

Following Livni's interview, Yacimovich issued a statement saying she would be willing to meet with Livni on Saturday to to discuss matters further. Army Radio reported that Lapid would not respond to to the offer.

Yacimovich on Thursday said that her party had decided unanimously not to join a government coalition led by Netanyahu under any circumstances.

"There are only two options, either the Labor Party will lead the government or Labor will lead the opposition against the government," Yacimovich said at a press conference.

Yacimovich stated that Likud had undergone a process of radicalization in recent weeks and that the party no longer resembles the traditional Likud.

Likud-Beytenu responded to Livni's statements, saying "It is clear the Left is trying to unite and topple Netanyahu from power. Up against the entire Left, we need great strength in order to preserve Israel's defense and vital interests."