Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu officially received a mandate from President Shimon Peres to form the next government. While Peres urged the creation of a broad national unity government, Netanyahu and Kadima Chairman Tzipi Livni intend to discuss a coalition on Sunday. However, Kadima officials persistently send mixed messages regarding the party’s intention to join a right wing government or lead the opposition. An article in the New Republic discusses pork’s (the actual meat) ability to sway the election, with certain constituencies voting for Yisrael Beitienu based on their non-kosher-keeping culture.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry traveled to Gaza yesterday but he noted that the visit does not reflect a different attitude of his towards Hamas. He intends to travel, along with Senator Chris Dodd, to Damascus tomorrow to discuss Iraq and Iran. Meanwhile, two Congressmen on a separate trip traveled to Gaza and expressed “shock” over the post-Operation Cast Lead devastation. Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, traveled as part of the group and released this statement.
Tension between Turkey and Israel continues with Haaretz reporting on the refusal of Israel to build a Turkey-sponsored ‘peace’ hospital aimed at treating both Israelis and Palestinians. The Israeli government procrastinated and eventually denied permitting the development of the hospital due to security concerns. Meanwhile, the Israeli general who accused Turks of hypocrisy towards Israeli action in Gaza citing the Armenian genocide apologized for his comments in a phone call placed yesterday to a Turkish military commander.
