Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he would begin forging a coalition with his party's "natural partners" as soon as possible.
"I am not going to waste time," Netanyahu told Likud members convened for a faction meeting. "I'll assemble as soon as possible a government with Likud's natural partners."
The Likud chairman told his faction members, "My desire is to lead a stable government which will be able to function, a broader government than our natural coalition. But it will be their decision. They will receive an offer, a good offer, a generous one, but it will be their decision.
"I don't plan to waste any time," Netanyahu clarified, saying he would turn to the Likud's natural partners, as well as to Kadima. He said there was no time to waste in light of the multitude of threats faced by Israel.
"I plan to form a government as soon as possible with our natural partners and turn to the other parties, headed by Kadima, and tell them that in the face of the multitude of these threats, in the face of the multitude of these challenges, we plan to form a broad national unity government and I hope Kadima will accept this call of mine.
"In any case, we cannot leave the State of Israel without a government and we will form a government as soon as possible."
According to Netanyahu, "The Israeli voter made a clear decision to take the road of strength. The voter rejected the current government's way and demanded that the national camp led by us will form the next government."
