Lieberman open to coalition with Netanyahu or Herzog

(AGI) Cairo, Dec. 13 - The statement made on Sunday by IsraeliForeign Minister Avigdor Lieberman came as a total surprise. Hesaid he was open to sit in a coalition both with Likud leaderand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with the Labour Partyled by Isaac Herzog. During a public event in Tel Aviv, theIsraeli right-wing hawk underscored that his party, YisraelBeytenu, absolutely does not belong to the "anyone-but-Bibi"(Netanyahu) front, thereby referring to an eventual coalitionagainst the prime minister currently in office. Liebermanwelcomed the agreement between Herzog and Tzipi Livni, theleader of the centrist Hatnua party, saying he was in favour oflarge coalitions, although he did not miss the opportunity tocriticise the agreement. "I was talking about rotations andconstellations rather than discussing contents", said Israel'schief diplomat, referring to the two leaders' decision todivide the mandate in two phases in case they win theelections: Herzog would head the government for two yearsbefore resigning and passing the helm to Livni. "In every roundof elections held since the establishing of Yisrael Beitenu in1999 it was proven that its power is expanding, we always havebeen growing. We will be running as an independent pary at thenext elections in the hope of improving the result obtained in2009", Lieberman said. (AGI) . .