Livni: Netanyahu is afraid, must be replaced
Israeli politicians exchange verbal blows as Knesset convenes to vote on its own dissolution; Netanyahu walks out as opposition leader Herzog lambastes him for poor governance.
MK Tzipi Livni slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a party faction meeting Wednesday, calling his speech to announce new elections the night before the words of a coward.
"The truth that lies behind the hysterical words is that we have a prime minister who is afraid – afraid of his ministers, and of the outside world," she said. Netanyahu had fired her and Finance Minister Yair Lapid for insubordination shortly before addressing the nation about the new elections.
Israel will go to the polls on March 17, 2015, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein announced Wednesday, after meeting with the leaders of the various political parties.
"It saddens me to say these things because he is the prime minister of Israel and we must respect him, but we owe it far more to ourselves to replace him," Livni added.
Meanwhile, opposition chairman and Labor leader Isaac Herzog said his center-left Labor party would "do everything to bring change and hope to Israel." Netanyahu walked out of the plenum as Herzog took the podium Wednesday to blast the prime minister for what he said was a failed rule.
In his Tuesday night speech, Netanyahu also called for a strong mandate from the people for whoever ends up sitting in the prime minister's chair, and declared that his Likud party was the only one capable of delivering.
Israel needs a "strong and experienced party… and the Likud is the only relevant party," he said. "Whoever wants to give it a clear mandate to lead the country with a prime minister from the Likud must give the Likud a mandate."
He added: "The elections are about one question – who will lead the country in face the massive challenges it faces."
Netanyahu's personal victory is seems likely, given recent opinion polls, and thus his comments are an attempt to shore up support for his party - "that is the main lesson from recent years and that is this elections' challenge."
One of those hit hardest by the move could be Arab parties who, thanks to Israel's low threshold for entry to parliament, had enjoyed a choice of three different parties. But in wake of Governability Law passed by the outgoing government, a new 3.25 percent threshold could force them to unite to able to make into the legislature.
MK Ahmed Tibi (UAL-Ta'al) said during a Ynet broadcast on Wednesday that "Lieberman, who raised the electoral threshold, wants to force the Arab parties out of the Knesset. This challenges us all to join together." He added that the "public wants one list."
Commenting on Netanyahu's speech on Tuesday, Tibi said: "I saw a prime minister in distress, boasting of the previous government's achievements. It was quite a strange sight."
