JERUSALEM – Israel's hard-line prime minister designate, Benjamin Netanyahu, promised Sunday to work with the United States to promote peace in the region as he sought to forge a moderate government with his chief rival.
Netanyahu's comments came ahead of a crucial meeting with Tzipi Livni, intended to persuade her to ally with him in forming a new government and avoid an unwelcome government alliance with ultra-nationalists to his right.
"I intend and expect to cooperate with the Obama administration and to try to advance the common goals of peace, security and prosperity for us and our neighbors," Netanyahu told reporters, ahead of a meeting with visiting Sen. Joseph Lieberman. "I hope to do so in a unity government."
Netanyahu, of the Likud party, is expected to extend Livni's Kadima party a generous offer that includes allowing her to remain as foreign minister.
Bringing in the moderate Livni would reduce international pressure on Israel and help stabilize Netanyahu's government. If he fails, he will have to turn to a narrow coalition with ultra-nationalists that could halt peace talks with Palestinians and harm Israel's ties with the Obama administration, which has promised to make pursuing Mideast peace a priority.
While Livni supports the formation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, Netanyahu does not. He has championed an "economic peace" with the Palestinians as an alternative and supported West Bank settlement expansion that has irked Palestinian leaders.
Speaking to her Kadima faction on Sunday, Livni seemed eager to assume the role of opposition leader.
"The choice is between hope and despair, between promoting and implementing the vision of two states for two peoples and between a lack of direction in that field," she said, adding that if Kadima compromised its platform to join the government it would be "betraying the trust of the public."
Kadima edged out Likud in the Feb. 10 election, garnered 28 seats in the 120-seat parliament — one more than Likud. However, President Shimon Peres has appointed Netanyahu to form the next government because he has the support of a majority of the elected lawmakers. Netanyahu, a former prime minister, has six weeks to do so.
"Unity can be achieved by dialogue, not by dictates, not by arm-wrestling, but by a real attempt to reach a joint position out of mutual respect, out of real discourse. That's what we will do today," Netanyahu said.
Lieberman said a Netanyahu-led government — even one formed with a right-leaning alliance — would enjoy good relations with Washington.
"Our enemies, unfortunately, are as common as the values and the interests that have united us for all these years," he said.
Livni has said she will join only if Netanyahu agrees to a "rotation" arrangement whereby each would serve as prime minister for half of the government's four-year term. Netanyahu rejects the proposal.
After Peres appointed Netanyahu to construct the next government, Livni said she would refuse to serve as a "fig leaf for a government of paralysis" that did not promote peace.
Ehud Olmert, Israel's outgoing prime minister, continues in a caretaker role until Netanyahu can form a new ruling coalition.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090222/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_politics
Topic: Netanyahu says he can work for peace with Obama (Read 744 times)