Netanyahu adds rightwing party to Israeli coalition, open racist Lieberman could be foreign minister
Yisrael Beitenu party leader Avigdor Lieberman could be appointed foreign minister after deal with Likud
Israel's prime minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu's Likud party has today agreed a coalition agreement with the rightwing Yisrael Beitenu party, whose leader, Avigdor Lieberman, could now become foreign minister.
Lieberman has been accused of racism for proposing that Israel's Arab citizens sign loyalty oaths or lose their citizenship. Although that plan is unlikely to be implemented, his designation as foreign minister could harm Israel's international ties.
It would be seen in Europe as a setback to Middle East peace efforts. The EU has urged Netanyahu to form a government that embraces the long-standing goal of an independent Palestinian state living side by side with Israel.
"Let me say very clearly that the way the European Union will relate to an [Israeli] government that is not committed to a two-state solution will be very, very different," Javier Solana, the EU's foreign and security affairs chief, said yesterday.
Lieberman recently said he supported Palestinian statehood, but he insists such a state should include territory inside Israel containing heavily populated Arab areas – a plan that could strip hundreds of thousands of Arabs of their Israeli citizenship.
Likud party spokeswoman, Dina Libster, said the coalition agreement with the Yisrael Beitenu party included a provision that both sides were prepared to form a government that would include moderate partners, such as the Kadima party of the current foreign minister, Tzipi Livni.
That wording leaves open the possibility that Livni might retain her job if she were to join such an alliance. Israel's media reported over the weekend that Netanyahu had resumed overtures to recruit Livni.
The agreement with Beitenu is Netanyahu's first step towards setting up a coalition of hawkish and Orthodox Jewish parties.
The government taking shape would take a harder line on Palestinian and Arab issues than the outgoing administration of prime minister Ehud Olmert.
Netanyahu has criticised last year's US-sponsored peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, aimed at partitioning the land and establishing a Palestinian state.
The talks made little progress and Olmert yesterday blamed the weak Palestinian government for the failure. In turn, Palestinian negotiators blamed Israel, citing expansion of West Bank settlements and hundreds of roadblocks in the West Bank.
Netanyahu plans to focus on efforts to bolster the Palestinian economy, leaving issues such as borders, sovereignty and Israeli settlements for a later stage.
In defiance of Israeli commitments to international plans, Netanyahu favours expanding Israel's West Bank Jewish settlements to allow for "natural growth," accommodating the growing families in the communities.
Palestinians reject that approach and have the backing of Barack Obama's US administration. In a recent visit, the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said the goal of negotiations must be the creation of a Palestinian state living next to Israel in peace.
Netanyahu still needs to add several other parties to reach a majority in the 120-member parliament. In the election last month, Likud won 27 seats; Yisrael Beitenu adds another 15.
Kadima won 28 seats, but Netanyahu was chosen to form a government because a majority of members of parliament said they favoured him over Livni as premier.
Netanyahu's negotiators will meet today with a team from Shas, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party with 11 seats in the parliament. If Kadima stays outside, Netanyahu is expected to try to bring in smaller hardline parties such as Jewish Home, National Union and United Torah Judaism, giving him a majority of 65.
But several of the parties have conflicting claims and agendas, and getting all of them to agree to back Likud is not assured.