President Shimon Peres has decided to task Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu with forming the next government. Peres will inform Netanyahu of the decision in a meeting at the presidential residence at 2:15 pm Friday afternoon.
Earlier, President Peres met separately with Netanyahu and Kadima Chairman Tzipi Livni after formal consultations between the president and the faction representatives have ended.
Peres urged both leaders to form a broad national unity government that will include both Likud and Kadima.
Netanyahu, who was the first to meet Peres, told the president that he understood the need for a unity government. "Immediately after you task me with forming the coalition, I will invite Kadima for negotiations," said the Likud leader.
"I'm willing to go far in order to establish such a government," he stated.
Shortly after their meeting concluded, Livni arrived at the president's residence in Jerusalem. After the meeting she said: "Whoever is willing to forsake all his values in order to sit in the coalition is unworthy to sit in that spot. There is a coalition here based on a lack of political vision, a coalition that will not allow me to exercise the way of Kadima.
