Israeli centre-left opposition coalition splinters

ISRAEL’S main opposition bloc split yesterday as Labour severed ties with the Hatnua movement of Tzipi Livni, the former foreign minister.

The move by Avi Gabbay, Labour’s leader, to disband the centre-left Zionist Union appeared to catch Ms Livni, the current leader of the opposition in parliament, by surprise.

Mr Gabbay said his party would now run independently of Hatnua in Israel’s elections on April 9.

“I hoped and believed this alliance would bring about our blossoming, a real connection and we would complement each other,” he said, acknowledging the Zionist Union’s weak showing in recent polls. “But the public is smart; [it] saw this is not the situation.”

Ms Livni, 60, a former peace negotiator with the Palestinians, said later in the day that she would continue to lead Hatnua into the election.

The party has just five MPS in the 120-member parliament, compared with Labour’s 19 and Likud’s 30.

The Zionist Union has lagged behind the Likud party of Benjamin Netanyahu and was predicted to capture only eight to nine seats in the election, compared with its current 24.

Opinion polls predict Mr Netanyahu will remain prime minister. It is estimated Likud will take 27-31 seats – enough to lead a right-wing coalition – despite three corruption investigations against its leader. The party has only grown in popularity as regional threats to the Jewish state increase.

Israel’s attorney general is expected soon to announce his decision on whether to charge Mr Netanyahu.

The prime minister said yesterday that he would not resign in the event of his indictment.