"Destroying the outposts is on the government's agenda and Lieberman must come to terms with that," Livni told reporters. While she said she would be "happy to see the government widening and becoming more stable," it would have to be "based on its own principles."
Not uprooting the outposts is one of five preconditions Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party has laid down to joining the Olmert government. The othera of his "five points" are:
- Changing the government to one of direct presidential elections, including a constitution;
- Establishing a state commission of inquiry to investigate what is felt to be the mismanagement of the recent war with Hizbullah terrorists in southern Lebanon;
- Officially ending Olmert's "convergence" (unilateral withdrawal) plan; and
- Passing a law that would allow civil marriage.
Yisrael Beiteinu's bill calling for election reform and a change in the structure of government will undergo a preliminary vote in the Knesset plenum next Wednesday. Lieberman has said that his party would not enter the coalition government if the bill does not pass.
"There is no doubt that if the bill passes it will eliminate many points of contention [with coalition leaders]," Lieberman told reporters on Monday. However, he added that there are no negotiations currently underway between his party and the Kadima-led coalition: "We have no ideology to sit in the coalition... and I am not looking for excuses to sit in the opposition. Everything is open."
Meanwhile, the Shas party has threatened to quit the coalition if Olmert agrees to Yisrael Beiteinu's precondition regarding a change in the current marriage laws to permit civil administrative marriages.
Vice Premier Shimon Peres (Kadima) said Sunday that he is not opposed to Yisrael Beiteinu joining the government - as long as there are no changes to the government's coalition guidelines.
In an interview with Arutz-7 Hebrew Radio on Tuesday, MK Rabbi Yitzchak Levy (National Union-NRP) said he was convinced Lieberman's party would not enter the government, "particularly in light of the prime minister's comments yesterday that he is committed to the current coalition guidelines. I am surprised at Lieberman, who wants to be a national-camp leader. It looks like he is rushing and crawling to get in, and that he wants to be on the inside."
MK Levy added that the discussion of Yisrael Beiteinu joining the coalition appears to him to be more of a political manipulation than a serious plan. If Lieberman were to join the government, Levy added, it would only harm him, "because within a year, there will be reports from the committees investigating the war [in Lebanon], which will obligate everyone sitting in the government."
Furthermore, MK Levy estimated that if Labor remains in the coalition, Lieberman's influence in such a coalition would be minimal.
"This government is unfit to lead the country," Levy said, "and we must wait for further developments and create a better government."
Not uprooting the outposts is one of five preconditions Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party has laid down to joining the Olmert government. The othera of his "five points" are:
- Changing the government to one of direct presidential elections, including a constitution;
- Establishing a state commission of inquiry to investigate what is felt to be the mismanagement of the recent war with Hizbullah terrorists in southern Lebanon;
- Officially ending Olmert's "convergence" (unilateral withdrawal) plan; and
- Passing a law that would allow civil marriage.
Yisrael Beiteinu's bill calling for election reform and a change in the structure of government will undergo a preliminary vote in the Knesset plenum next Wednesday. Lieberman has said that his party would not enter the coalition government if the bill does not pass.
"There is no doubt that if the bill passes it will eliminate many points of contention [with coalition leaders]," Lieberman told reporters on Monday. However, he added that there are no negotiations currently underway between his party and the Kadima-led coalition: "We have no ideology to sit in the coalition... and I am not looking for excuses to sit in the opposition. Everything is open."
Meanwhile, the Shas party has threatened to quit the coalition if Olmert agrees to Yisrael Beiteinu's precondition regarding a change in the current marriage laws to permit civil administrative marriages.
Vice Premier Shimon Peres (Kadima) said Sunday that he is not opposed to Yisrael Beiteinu joining the government - as long as there are no changes to the government's coalition guidelines.
In an interview with Arutz-7 Hebrew Radio on Tuesday, MK Rabbi Yitzchak Levy (National Union-NRP) said he was convinced Lieberman's party would not enter the government, "particularly in light of the prime minister's comments yesterday that he is committed to the current coalition guidelines. I am surprised at Lieberman, who wants to be a national-camp leader. It looks like he is rushing and crawling to get in, and that he wants to be on the inside."
MK Levy added that the discussion of Yisrael Beiteinu joining the coalition appears to him to be more of a political manipulation than a serious plan. If Lieberman were to join the government, Levy added, it would only harm him, "because within a year, there will be reports from the committees investigating the war [in Lebanon], which will obligate everyone sitting in the government."
Furthermore, MK Levy estimated that if Labor remains in the coalition, Lieberman's influence in such a coalition would be minimal.
"This government is unfit to lead the country," Levy said, "and we must wait for further developments and create a better government."