BICOM

Labour leader Isaac Herzog and Hatnuah head Tzipi Livni announced yesterday evening that they will unite as one single electoral list in an attempt to defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies at the polls on 17 March.

Herzog and Livni had been widely reported as having been in talks for several days over such an arrangement, although Livni was also thought to be considering an offer to unite with Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid. Recent polls have suggested that a joint Labour-Hatnuah list would be the largest Knesset faction.

However, in a surprising aspect of the announcement, it was agreed that if victorious, Herzog and Livni will rotate the Prime Ministership after two years with Herzog initially in post. Labour had 15 seats in the last Knesset, while some polls suggested that Hatnuah may not pass the electoral threshold in the upcoming election. Consequently, some Labour figures may view the rotation agreement as a concession to Livni. In addition to Livni, prominent slots on the electoral list will be reserved for Hatnuah MKs Amir Peretz and Amram Mitzna, both former Labour leaders.

Speaking at yesterday’s press conference, Herzog said that, “You have to know how to set egos aside and do what is right for the country,” adding, “The time has come for a change … There is another path, a path in which the Zionist camp joins ranks and walks together for the good of the country.” Meanwhile, Livni commented, “We are creating a new Zionist centre against the extreme Right that isolated Israel. No one can complain anymore that there is no chance to win. We have created that chance.”

A statement from Netanyahu’s Likud Party welcomed yesterday’s announcement, saying that it gave the public a clear choice between “the left” of Herzog and Livni and the “national camp” of Likud. Likud MK Ze’ev Elkin commented, “The left is offering a musical chairs government: they’ll divide the premiership like cake in a kindergarten.”