Middle East

Peres tells Netanyahu to form government

Article published on the 2009-02-20 Latest update 2009-02-20 13:22 TU

Peres (R) meets Netanyahu (L)
(Photo: Reuters)

Israeli President Shimon Peres has asked the leader of the right-wing Likud Party, Benjamin Netanyahu, to form a coalition government. Peres made the request in a letter he handed to Netanyahu, who accepted, also in writing, at a ceremony in the President's Jerusalem residence. But leaders of the rival Kadima Party have indicated that they will not join the coalition.

Peres met Netanyahu and Livni separately on Friday, in an effort to persuade them to form a broad coalition. But Livni's response was negative.

"I will not be a pawn in a government that would be against our ideals," she said after seeing Peres. "Things are clear. What is being created is a government without political vision, a government with no values."

Livni insisted on progress towards a Palestinian state. "We need a government based on a two-state solution," she said.

Kadima won the largest number of seats in the 10 February election, one more than Likud. But far-right leader Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beitenu party came third, backed Netanyahu as Prime Minister.

Netanyhau says that the time is not ripe to discuss key issues, such as the status of Jerusalem, in talks with the Palestinians and has said that he will not be tied by a pledge by outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to remove Jewish settlers from the West Bank.