“Amir Peretz called me and said that he supports Ehud Olmert," Katzav said Tuesday, after meeting with the heads of several Knesset factions. "There isn’t a single party that unequivocally opposes Olmert. In fact, there is no other candidate for the government.”
The Shas Party, warning that it is against Olmert's so-called Contraction/Concentration (hitkansut) Plan to carry out a unilateral withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria, said they would join a Kadima-led coalition and recommended Olmert to the president Tuesday. "The people of Israel chose a social revolution and this revolution is now underway," Shas Chairman Eli Yishai promised, adding that the election results, including the disintegration of Shinui, also reflected the choosing of "Jewish tradition and Jewish values."
Representatives of the United Arab List - Ta'al faction also met with President Katzav, saying that although they would not sit in a government coalition, they would support any Israeli withdrawals, and particularly Olmert's withdrawal plan, from the opposition. Party Chairman MK Ahmed Tibi also strongly protested the rise of the Yisrael Beiteinu (“Israel is Our Home”) Party, which he said would have been banned in Europe for its position advocating the transfer of Israeli Arabs.
Katzav is to meet with the United Torah Judaism Party on Thursday, following a meeting of the party's Council of Torah Sages.
Kadima, Labor, Shas and the Pensioners’ Party all endorsed Olmert. UTJ is expected to endorse him as well. National Union-NRP initially endorsed Peretz, until it became clear that he did not really intend to pursue the position. Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu and all three Arab parties declined to endorse anybody.
The president said he would meet with Olmert prior to the Passover holiday and call undecided parties to confirm their decision before he officially announces his decision. “I don't want to interfere with their conclusions, but I see no point in a second round of talks," he said.
Army Radio political commentators pointed out that Olmert has already promised Amir Peretz not to sign a coalition agreement with any other party until an agreement with Labor is reached. The significance of such a promise, they said - calling Peretz a master negotiator from his years of heading Israel's labor union - is that the Labor chairman can hold up the formation of the government however long he wants in order to increase pressure on Olmert. They speculated that President Katzav is taking his time charging Olmert with formation of the government in order to buy Olmert time.