Free Republic

Yachad is over the threshold and in the Knesset, Bayit Yehudi got 6.13% of the vote, Likud got near 25%, Avoda (Labor) just 18%, Yesh Atid a paltry 8 point something.

Apr. 25, 2006 1:43 | Updated Apr. 25, 2006 19:12 Peretz, Olmert meet on ministers By SHEERA CLAIRE FRENKEL AND JPOST STAFF Labor Party chairman Amir Peretz and Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the proposed reduction of ministers and the elimination of deputy ministers in the new coalition government. Senior Kadima officials said that they expected Olmert to reduce the number of Kadima ministers by one, for a total of 11 Kadima ministers in the government. Kadima sources saw the move as a way of encouraging the rest of the coalition partners to make...

Apr. 22, 2006 11:23 | Updated Apr. 22, 2006 23:32 Olmert, Peretz agree on largest government ever By GIL HOFFMANOlmert and Peretz - partnersInterim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Labor Chairman Amir Peretz talk in the Knesset during its inaugural session. Photo: Associated PressIsrael will have its largest government in history with 27 ministers by the end of the week, according to an agreement reached on Thursday night between Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Labor chairman Amir Peretz, sources close to both men said Saturday. Olmert and Peretz met after 11 p.m. at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and...

Apr. 5, 2006 14:39 | Updated Apr. 5, 2006 19:08 Acting PM Olmert: 'Elections became a referendum' By JPOST.COM STAFF The election vote was in fact a national referendum on the diplomatic issues that face Israel today, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday during a meeting of the Kadima Knesset faction. "Fortunately, the election campaign became, with the consent of all parties, a referendum," Olmert said. The Kadima leader estimated that coalition talks wound end by the end of April or the beginning of May. "I will make every effort to conclude coalition negotiations as soon as possible," he...

Apr. 2, 2006 3:02 | Updated Apr. 2, 2006 9:10 President Katsav to kick off coalition talks By GIL HOFFMAN AND JPOST STAFF President Moshe Katsav will begin holding consultations with party representatives on Sunday ahead of his decision this week on whom he should ask to form Israel's next government. The consultations will kick off at noon when Kadima representatives Haim Ramon, Avraham Hirchson, Roni Bar-On, Dalia Itzik, Avigdor Yitzhaki and Marina Solodkin visit Beit Hanassi. They will be followed by MKs from Labor, Shas, Israel Beiteinu and the Likud. Katsav will meet Monday with representatives from the National...

Peretz ready to bolt coalition New Labor chairman asks party members to prepare resignation letters Attila Somfalvi Labor Chairman Amir Peretz is preparing resignation letters with the signatures of Labor party ministers, to be used as a bargaining chip during his scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Thursday.Peretz and Peres Photo: Yaron Brenner Aides to Peretz say the move will prevent the prime minister from preemptively sacking Labor party ministers by citing any number of pretexts. A Peretz source also said the Prime Minister's Office has attempted to arrange a meeting between the newly elected Labor party chairman...