Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (Hatnua) warned on Thursday that she is considering leaving the government, after Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz of her party last Saturday announced he is quitting the coalition.
Speaking at a conference of the radical leftist OneVoice Movement which has tried to bribe Israelis to support "peace," Livni spoke about the "hardships" of being in the government.
"Life in this government isn't easy," Livni said. "I ask myself every day if I need to be there and I suppose that one day the moment will come when I say 'enough.'"
Livni's warnings of leaving the government come the same Thursday that reports revealed Finance Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) threatened Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that he is considering to break off from the coalition and form an alternate government.
Lapid’s Yesh Atid party is now the largest in the Knesset after the resignation of former Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar (Likud), who was replaced by an MK from Yisrael Beytenu.
The timing of the two events leads to speculation that Livni may throw her weight behind Lapid in his push to topple Netanyahu during the current Knesset coalition and before elections - in which indications are that the two will be soundly weakened.
According to the latest Knesset Channel poll by Panels Politics, Yesh Atid is anticipated to drop from 19 to ten seats, while Hatnua would fall from six to four, barely making it into the Knesset. The bleak election picture may be fueling Livni's willingness to take unusual steps during the current coalition.