JERUSALEM, Sept. 18 (Chinese media) -- Israeli Foreign
Minister Tzipi Livni, the new chair of the ruling Kadima party and possibly the
new prime minister, vowed Thursday to push forward the peace process, yet
analysts cautioned that the odds do not necessary favor her.
With a slim margin of merely 1.1 percentage point,
the top Israeli diplomat beat her main rival, Transportation Minister Shaul
Mofaz, in the party's primary on Wednesday, and became the third and first woman
leader of the three-year-old centrist party.
The file photo taken on September 15,
2008 shows Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni smiling during a meeting
with her Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Final results released by Israel's ruling Kadima party early Thursay
showed that Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni won the party's primary, local
news service Ynet reported. (Chinese media/Yin Bogu)
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Different from Mofaz, an icon of the relatively right
wing of the party, Livni was generally considered more left-wing. She has been
leading the Israeli team in negotiations with the Palestinians, and has also
expressed her resolve to continue with the talks.
Yet Dahlia Golan, Professor of Government at the
Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, cautioned that Livni's election probably
would not make much of a difference to the peace process though it did create
more stability on the Israeli side.
"If she succeeds to put together a government, she
would have an interest in trying to reach an agreement and in making some
progress before elections," Golan told Chinese media, noting that Livni has stressed at
various occasions the need for Israel to address the Palestinian quagmire.
However, analysts agreed that Livni's primary
objective is domestic as she has at most 42 days to form a new coalition. Should
she fail, early general elections would be held, possibly in the spring.
"She has to put together a government" before she can
pursue the peace track, Golan said, while stressing that the Palestinian side
would also have to be willing and able to negotiate.
Livni has said she would try to preserve the
coalition and then expand it, but her coalition partners have already hinted at
a tough stance in an attempt to strengthen their bargaining positions.
As far as the peace talks are concerned, leaders of
current coalition party Shas have claimed that they would not be able to sit in
a government that supports concessions on the issue of Jerusalem, which Israel
unilaterally claims as its permanent capital.
The Jerusalem question is one of the core issues
dividing Israel and the Palestinians, who hope to establish a capital for their
future state in the east part of the holy city, including the Old City, home to
the holiest Jewish site, the Western Wall, and the third holiest Islamic site,
the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Some analysts believe that if Shas leaves the
coalition, Livni's best chance for establishing a coalition which would favor
striking a peace agreement with the Palestinians is to pull in the left-wing
Meretz party.
Then she could create a coalition comprising Kadima,
Labor, Meretz, and the Pensioners Party, which would amount to 60 lawmakers and
would probably enjoy the support of the Arab parties from outside of the
coalition.
However, Labor Chair and Defense Minister Ehud Barak
has voiced opposition to the continuation of the current coalition, and called
for the formation of a broad emergency government, which would bring together
all main parties, or general elections.
The more hawkish Likud party, led by former Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is himself interested in holding early general
elections, have firmly ruled out the possibility to join such a coalition.
Netanyahu has said that he has no intention of serving in any government other
than one led by the Likud.
Livni likely to form coalition after
clinching Kadima leadership
The file photo taken on Sept. 15, 2008
shows Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni smiling during a meeting with
her Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos in Tel Aviv, Israel.
(Chinese media/Yin Bogu)
Photo
Gallery
JERUSALEM, Sept. 18 (Chinese media) -- After winning Wednesday's
ruling Kadima primary, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is likely to form a
coalition which will make her Israel's second woman prime minister, analysts
said Thursday, though pointing out that there are stumbling blocks for her to
clear before she manages to do so. Full story
Livni enjoys comfortable lead in race
for Kadima leadership
Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
(L) speaks with a pupil during a ceremony for the first day of school at
an elementary school in Tel Aviv September 1, 2008.
(Chinese media/ReutersPhoto)
Photo
Gallery
JERUSALEM, Sept. 4 (Chinese media) -- With less than two weeks to
the primary elections of Israel's ruling Kadima party, a new poll put Foreign
Minister Tzipi Livni 20 percentage points ahead of Transportation Minister Shaul
Mofaz, local daily Ha'aretz reported Thursday on its website. Full story
Livni wins Kadima primary with slim
margin
JERUSALEM, Sept. 18 (Chinese media) -- Final results released by
Israel's ruling Kadima party early Thursday showed that Foreign Minister Tzipi
Livni won the party's primary, local news service Ynet reported.
With all votes counted, Livni secured 16,936 votes, or
43.1 percent, as compared to 16,505 votes, or 42 percent, that went to her main
rival, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, said the report. Full story
Livni vows to creat government
stability
JERUSALEM, Sept. 18 (Chinese media) -- The new chairman of
Israel's Kadima, Tzipi Livni, vowed to create government stability with other
ministers in her victory speech early Thursday morning after being declared the
winner of the party's primary, local daily Ha'aretz said.
"All the people who came to vote today expressed what
they wish to happen in this country," Livni told reporters. Full story
on victory
JERUSALEM, Sept. 18 (Chinese media) -- Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert early Thursday congratulated Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on her
apparent victory in the ruling Kadima party's primary. Full Story
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