Hamas: Israeli elections produced three heads of "terrorism"

[ 11/02/2009 - 10:45 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Hamas Movement said on Tuesday that primary results of the Israeli elections have showed that three Israeli heads of "terrorism" were gaining ground in the Israeli arena.

Spokesman of Hamas Movement in Gaza Strip Fawzi Barhoum stressed that Hamas will remain steadfast and firm on the national constants and aspirations of the Palestinian people regardless of who would rule in the Hebrew state.

Three Israeli fanatic parties, Kadima of Tzipi Livni, the Likud of Binyamin Netanyahu, Yisrael Beiteinu of the ultra-rightist figure Avigdor Lieberman, reaped most of the seats in the Israeli Knesset (parliament).

In a press statement he made Tuesday night in reaction to the elections, Barhoum pointed out that the Israeli community has chosen the most "extremist, the terrorist, and blood-thirsty figures and war-mongers to rule them".

"Today, we face three heads of terrorism, Livni, who wants to pursue the war on Gaza; Netanyahu, who clearly announced there is no Palestinian partner for peace and he won't abide by any agreement with the Palestinians; and Lieberman, who once wanted to bomb the Aswan Dam and destroy Egypt and throw the Palestinian people in the sea", Barhoum explained.

He also stressed that the "Zionist terror" developed from the "terrorism of gangs and militias [in the 1930s and 40s] into institutionalized terrorism that has developed into a culture of the Israeli society which explains the gains made by extremist groups and explains why Israeli leaders campaign for elections by shedding Palestinian blood".

Speaking on the possible effect of the Israeli elections' results on the ongoing truce negotiation and the file of Israeli captive Gilad Shalit, Barhoum said, "When we talk about serious dramatic developments in the Israeli community, we believe that those developments would have an impact on the Egyptian efforts, especially in the file of Shalit and the file of the siege, and perhaps on the entire region".

But he made it clear that any Israeli government willing to have a calm must pay the price for that calm, and the price is to end the siege, halt all forms of aggression and open all crossing points, including the Rafah gate.

As for Shalit, Barhoum underlined that the "Israeli occupation government knows very well the price we need for his freedom, and therefore, our stands will remain firm in dealing with this issue".

Hamas wants the Israeli occupation government to release Palestinian women and children captives in Israeli jails, in addition to 1000 prisoners including those who spent more than 20 years of their lives in jails in exchange for Shalit's freedom.

Finally, Barhoum underscored that in the light of the political variables in the "Zionist entity", a change in the Arab position should also take place in order to face the great challenges before the Palestinian people and before the entire region.

Kadima party leads elections with 28 seats

Wednesday February 11, 2009 06:34 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli sources reported on Wednesday at dawn that with 99% of the votes counted, the Kadima party is still leading the race after winning 28 out of 120 Knesset seats.

The rival Likud party is only one seat behind, while the Labor party’s representation dropped to 13 seats.

The extremist right wing party of Avigdor Lieberman is expected to garner 15 Knesset seats, and thus is expected to have a bigger influence of coalitions.

Lieberman’s party does not recognize the rights of Arabs and Palestinians, and has repeatedly called for the deportation of Arab Israelis to nearby Arab countries.

Even if Livni is officially declared the winner, she must be able to gather a 61-seat coalition needed to form a government, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.

Haaretz said that according to the current exit polls, Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his right wing bloc will have 63-64 seats, while the camp of Tzipi Livni would win 56-57 seats.

The results indicate that even if the Kadima party won the polls with a larger number of seats, a coalition by the Likud and other rival parties could maintain a parliamentary majority.

Israeli sources: TV polls give Kadima 30 Knesset seats

Saed Bannoura, IMEMC & Agncies, Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:48:00

The Israeli elections were conducted on Tuesday with more than 50 percent of votes counted so far. The Kadima party is leading the race with 29 out of 120 Knesset seats. The Likud party is close behind with 27 seats.

The race for prime minister is very close between Israel’s Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, who so far remains in the first place, and Benjamin Netanyahu, who is only two seats behind.

The Labor party suffered a noticeable blow with only 13 to 12 seats, and the extremist right wing party, Yisrael Beitenu, headed by Avigdor Lieberman garnered 15 to 16 seats.

All exit polls conducted by the three main TV stations in Israel showed Kadima as the winning party, and the Likud as the second largest party.

Israeli online daily Haaretz said that reporters of Channel 1, channel 2 and channel 10, sated that all counted ballot boxes indicated a victory for Tzipi Livni and her Kadima party.

Haaretz added that, although Livni seems to be winning, it remains unclear if she will be able to form a coalition with a minimum of 61 Knesset seats, as the Israeli law requires this number of seats as a minimum for a coalition government.

After the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, resigned following criminal investigations, Livni was in charge of forming a new government but could not gather the needed 61-seat coalition, and general elections were called.

Haaretz said that even if the exit polls are correct, the right-wing bloc, led by Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu, will garner 63-64 seats, while the center-left bloc, headed by Livni, will take 56-57 seats. This means that a win in the polls does not necessarily mean that the next government will have a center-left formula.

Haaretz reported that exit polls of the three main TV stations in Israel were as follows;

Channel 1 poll; Kadima 30, Likud 28, Labor 13, and Yisrael Beiteinu, 14.

Channel 2 poll; Kadima 29, Likud 27, Labor 13 and Yisrael Beiteinu 15.

Channel 10: Kadima 30, Likud 28, Labor 13 and Yisrael Beiteinu 15.

Addressing supporters in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said that although he may be the second in the polls, the party will be the key component of any government collation.

Sources at the Likud party said that Netanyahu will be meeting with Lieberman on Wednesday in order to hold talks on forming a right-wing coalition that would block the Kadima party.

Israeli 2009 elections: Kadima leads vote with 30 seats
Ghassan Bannoura, IMEMC News, Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:27:11

The first report of the vote count reveals that the center-right Kadima party, headed by Tzipi Livni, has won 30 out of the 120 seats of the Israeli Knesset –Parliament.

Israeli channel 10 has reported that the right-wing Likud party, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, have won 28 seats, while the radical right party, Yisrael Beitenu, have scored 15 seats.

The labor party won 13 seats while the religious group Shass won nince seats, Israeli channel 10 reported.

Media sources have reported celebrations at the Kadima party campaign stations shortly after the reports was announced on TV.

Israeli Analyst: Without Lieberman, Livni has no Government

Wednesday February 11, 2009 13:06 by George Rishmawi - IMEMC News

An Israeli political analyst expected a Livni-Lieberman coalition in order for the second expected female, prime minister of Israel to form a government.

Tzipi Livni, who managed in the last miniute to win over Benjamin Netanyahu who was top on most of the polls prior to the elections, made a major victory. At least three parties are needed to make the 61 minimum seats in the Knesset in order to form a government. Therefore, groups like Lieberman's Yesrael Beteinu who won 15 seats and Shass who won 11 seats will have an important weight in the coalition talks.

Livni was appointed 13 years ago, by Netanyahu as head of the Israel Government Companies Authority.

According to analys Yossi Verter of Haaretz, even with Lieberman Livni would need other parties to in order to form a government.

Netanyahu on the other hand, has better chances to form a government as coalition with Labor might be likely and Netanyahu maybe willing to have religious parties on board.

This elections indicated a rise in the popularity of the right wing parties. The Likud who won 27 seats, is the biggest winner in this year's elections as they have 15 more seats compare with last elections of 2006, while the labor party, who won 13 seats only, is the biggest loser, as it had 19 sets in the 2006 elections. Menawhle, Yesrael Beitanu, jumped from 11 seats last elections to 15 seats this time. The only left wing party, Meretz, lost two seats as they won only 3 seats this time. on the other hand, the Arab parties remained the same compare with last year.

It is apparent, that Israeli society is moving more towards the right every year. Some Israeli analysts believe Kadima will be able to form a coalition government however, it is expected that this government will be weak and will not last more than few months, and Israelis will have to go back to the polls soon.

Parliamentary chaos as rival Israeli leaders claim victory

Date: 11 / 02 / 2009 Time: 09:48
Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies –

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni’s Kadima party appears to have pulled off a narrow victory in Tuesday’s election, winning 28 seats in the Knesset with Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud Party close behind with 27.

Both Livni and Netanyahu, however, have claimed victory and say that they are seeking to form governing coalitions.

With 99% of the vote counted, Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s Labor party won 13 seats, while the extreme rightist Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu party won 15.

Exit polls by Israel's three main television networks on Tuesday night also pointed to a slim Kadima victory.

Despite Kadima’s apparent victory, the right wing will hold the balance of power in the coming Knesset, with rightist parties, led by Likud, projected to control 63 to 64 seats in the 120-member parliament. A center-left bloc headed by Livni will only hold 56 or 57.

The secular left-wing Meretz won only three seats. Right-wing religious parties also won few seats. United Torah Judaism won five seats, followed by the National Union with 4 and the Bayit Hayehudi with three. The Israeli Arab party Ra'am Ta'al scored four seats and Balad won three.

The Pensioners Party and the Green Movement-Meimad each won just 1 percent of the total vote, just missing the threshold to gain a seat in the Knesset.
  

Inconclusive election puts Israel, peace in limbo

By KARIN LAUB
Associated Press Writer

Feb 11, 2009, 11:36 AM EST

JERUSALEM (AP) --

Inconclusive election results sent Israel into political limbo Wednesday with both Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and hard-line leader Benjamin Netanyahu claiming victory and leaving the kingmaker role to a rising political hawk with an anti-Arab platform.

Livni's Kadima Party won 28 seats, just one more than Netanyahu's Likud, in Tuesday's election for the 120-member parliament, according to nearly complete results. Both held victory rallies, but without a clear majority neither can govern alone. Hard-line parties won a majority of the votes, meaning that Netanyahu has more natural allies and a better chance of forming a coalition.

The results set the stage for what could be weeks of coalition negotiations. The first meetings began Wednesday, with Netanyahu meeting the head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas faction and Livni meeting Avigdor Lieberman, whose ultranationalist party received 15 seats and emerged as the third-largest force in parliament.

Two of the more likely options would see a hard-line government led by Netanyahu, leaving Livni in the opposition, or some form of accommodation between the two in the form of a centrist coalition in which they would share power.

Whatever government is forged, it is unlikely to move quickly toward peace talks with the Palestinians and instead could find itself on a collision course with President Barack Obama, who has said he's making a Mideast peace deal a priority.

Paralysis could dampen prospects for Egyptian-led attempts to broker a truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers after Israel's devastating offensive in Gaza last month. Hamas might be reluctant to sign a deal at the risk of having it overturned by the incoming coalition.

It's up to Israeli President Shimon Peres to decide whether Livni or Netanyahu should have the first shot at forming a government. Peres will meet next week with party leaders to hear their recommendations and he expects to assign the task around Feb. 20, presidential spokeswoman Ayelet Frisch said.

However, the final word may be up to Lieberman, a former Netanyahu protege and perhaps Israel's most divisive politician.

Lieberman says he wants to redraw Israel's borders in order to push out heavily Arab areas and require those who remain to sign a loyalty oath or lose the right to vote or run for office.

(This is equivalent to demanding that American Jews sign a loyalty oath to the US (as they are suspected of loyalty to Israel), or lose the right to vote or run for office).

Some 20 percent of Israel's 7 million citizens are Arabs, and about a dozen serve in parliament.

Lieberman kept his options open. "We want a right-wing government," Lieberman told party activists, but added that "we do not rule out anyone."

Meeting Lieberman in an attempt to woo him, Livni said Israelis have "chosen who they want to be prime minister."

"This is an opportunity for unity which can push forward the issues which are important to you as well," Livni said, according to a statement issued by her office.

Nearly everyone seemed to agree on one thing after Israel's fifth election in a decade - that the nation's fractious election system isn't working. Livni, Lieberman, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak of the Labor Party said in post-election speeches that the system, in which votes are splintered among a proliferation of parties, must be changed to allow more stability.

With all of the civilian votes counted, Kadima won 28 seats, Likud 27 and Yisrael Beiteinu 15. Labor, for decades Israel's ruling party, won just 13 seats. Overall, right-wing and religious parties won a total of 65 seats, compared to 55 for center-left and Arab parties.

The tally did not include thousands of votes by soldiers, to be counted by Thursday evening. They could shift the final results by a seat or two.

In Washington, the Obama administration declined to offer any initial assessment of the tight race. However, officials said that no matter who ultimately wins, the administration will continue to engage in the peace process and that special Mideast envoy George Mitchell still planned to visit the region later this month.

Although Livni is seen as closer to the administration's views on the peace process, two officials said privately they did not believe a Netanyahu-led government would necessarily torpedo chances for a deal.

During Netanyahu's three-year term as prime minister a decade ago, he largely froze the interim peace deals his predecessors negotiated with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu has derided the past year of peace talks under Kadima as a waste of time, and said he wants to focus on reviving the Palestinian economy. He has also called to crush Hamas, the Islamic militant movement that seized the Gaza Strip by force in June 2007, and remove it from power.

Livni has said she would continue peace talks with moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who governs the West Bank. But she also advocates a tough line against Hamas and was one of the architects of Israel's three-week Gaza war, which ended with a temporary cease-fire on Jan. 18.

Abbas will restart talks only if Israel commits to a settlement freeze, his aides said Tuesday, posing such a condition for the first time.

Netanyahu wants to expand settlements, and even under the outgoing Kadima-led government, in which Livni served as chief negotiator, construction accelerated.

The Palestinians want all of the West Bank for a future state, along with Gaza and east Jerusalem. They say the West Bank settlements, home to nearly 300,000 Jews, will make that impossible.

Arabs across the region saw somewhat better hopes for Arab-Israeli peace negotiations under Livni, although analysts feared any government she formed would be too weak to move decisively.

Under Livni "it will be possible to market the illusion of the existence of a peace process for another year or two," said Oraib al-Rentawi, head of the Al Quds Center for Political Studies, a private think tank based in Jordan. "But with Netanyahu's government, the mission will be far more difficult."

Others said the only reason for optimism in Arab-Israeli negotiations was that Obama put the issue at the top of his foreign policy agenda.

"Everybody knows that peace is in the hands of the Americans, and that the U.S. is capable of practicing pressures on any given government," said Saudi analyst Anwar Eshki, head of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies in Jeddah.

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AP writers Aron Heller and Karen Zolka in Tel Aviv, and Josef Federman and Dalia Nammari in Jerusalem and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.