News Brief

Likud officials on Saturday night called Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni a hypocrite, after Kadima officials criticized Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, saying that both were unworthy to be Prime Minister – because they hadn't demanded that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert step aside, after Attorney General Menachem Mazuz said last week that Olmert was likely to be indicted on corruption charges. "Netanyahu's fear of Tzipi Livni is causing him to remain quiet. Bibi and Barak are small-time politicians who aren't interested in stopping corruption," said sources in Kadima.

On the contrary, the Likud responded. "Livni is a hypocrite. She didn't ask Olmert to resign after the Talansky testimony," in which the American businessman said he had given Olmert hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts. "It was Barak who forced Olmert to resign. Now that she is facing polls, Livni is suddenly trying to portray herself as righteous," a Likud party statement said.