Baird, Netanyahu meet over takeover

TEL AVIV — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird was to meet Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. seeks to buy Israel Chemicals Ltd. in what would be the largest Middle Eastern takeover.

Baird “will try to soften opposition in the government to the deal,” said Richard Gussow, an analyst at DS Securities & Investments. “It is obvious he is here also to do public relations for the Potash-ICL deal.”

The proposed acquisition of ICL, the nation’s secondlargest publicly traded company, has sparked opposition from ICL workers and politicians including Lapid. Yesh Atid, Israel’s second-biggest political party, has criticized the deal for its potential to harm the Negev region.