Itzik Shmuli
Itzik ShmuliHillel Maeir/TPS

MK Itzik Shmuli (Zionist Union) hinted on Thursday at a possible split of the Zionist Union party, which is an alliance of the Labor party and MK Tzipi Livni’s Hatnua party, in view of the problematic relations between the two factions.

"The relations are not good, sour, between the heads of both Hatnua and the Labor party, even in the context of continued cooperation between the two parties," Shmuli said in an interview on the Be’er Sheva-based Radio Darom.

He added that Livni must commit to running together with Labor in the next elections in order to win the position of opposition leader, replacing Yitzhak Herzog who was appointed as head of the Jewish Agency.

"What needs to be done now in order to end the saga of the opposition leadership is to ensure the continued cooperation between Hatnua and the Labor party. Without this, of course, there is nothing to talk about," said Shmuli.

Asked whether, under the current circumstances, the sides should consider separating the parties, he replied, "This, too, is an option. If the leader of Hatnua put this idea on the table, it certainly is an option. Personally I think the partnership should be preserved. If Hatnua wants to examine the possibility of running independently, it’s their choice and their right."

Herzog has recommended that Livni be tapped to replace him as opposition leader. However, Labor leader Avi Gabbay has refused to commit to the idea thus far.