"Honor the Israeli people's decision," Kadima leader tells Likud leader. "The people have chosen us."
By JPOST.COM STAFFelections2009_248(photo credit: )
Kadima leader Tzipi Livni called on Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu Tuesday night to join a Kadima-led coalition, rather then trying to form a right-wing government.
With 99.7 percent of the votes counted by 7:00 a.m., Kadima was narrowly leading Likud with a predicted 28 mandates, while the latter had garnered a predicted 27 seats, but it appeared that the Likud-led right-wing would constitute the larger bloc.
Addressing supporters at the party's headquarters in Tel Aviv, Livni declared victory in the elections. "The people have chosen - Kadima," she said to applause.
"I call out to Binyamin Netanyahu tonight," she said. "I proposed to you before the elections were set to join a unity government under my leadership...you refused, saying that the people must decide. Today the people decided - Kadima."
"Now all that is left is to do the right thing, to honor the decision of the citizens of Israel, to do what is right for Israel at this time…and to join a unity government led by us," Livni said.
"Today I hear talk of camps again. Ladies and gentlemen, I entered politics when camps were fighting a bitter war between themselves. The 'Eretz Israel' camp and the 'peace camp,' and today I hear the name 'National Camp' [referring to the right-wing bloc]," Livni said.
"'Eretz Israel' does not belong to the Right, just as peace does not belong to the Left," she said.
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