Source: Lieberman will have to quit cabinet within weeks

[oberliner]

Law enforcement sources said yesterday that if Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman is appointed cabinet minister in the next government it will be for a brief period only, as he will be forced to resign once the police complete their criminal investigation against him and issue charges. The sources also said some evidence uncovered in the corruption probe has not been made public.

The sources said that information contained in thousands of documents delivered to Israel in September makes police feel confident that charges will be brought against Lieberman. If indicted he would have to resign from the cabinet but could continue serving as a member of Knesset.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1069305.html

[Idealism]

1. Oberliner, what do you make of the chances for this?

Was the investigation due to his admittance of past Kahane membership?

[oberliner]

2. It's from an alleged money laundering scheme he supposedly was involved with

This started back in 2004 supposedly.

Whether or not that investigation will bring him down I cannot say, but I am fairly confident that one way or another this narrow coalition government will not last very long, thankfully.

[Idealism]

3. Will National Unity have their demands for coalition met?

That would widen the margin considerably, yes?

[oberliner]

5. Do you mean the National Union party?

They only won four seats.

[Idealism]

6. Yes, but Bibi wrote them off

Those are 4 seats he could use, given his current set up only will have a bare majority in the Knesset.

[oberliner]

7. They are useless without Lieberman's party

There is no way that Likud can get to 62 seats without Lieberman's party or Kadima even if he gets all the other RW parties.

[Idealism]

8. I didn't realize that if Lieberman gets indicted, it means his party can't be

in the coalition.

Or do you mean that Lieberman will pull his entire party out of the coalition simply for losing his cabinet post due to his own transgressions?

[oberliner]

10. That is not what it means

My thought is that the coalition will not be able to hold together for one of many potential different reasons, including various scandals involving Lieberman and his party.

[Idealism]

11. I agree there is plenty of strife between the factions

and if Lieberman is forced to resign from the cabinet, there is even less motivation for him to keep Yisrael Beiteinu in the coalition, or at least less motivation for him to "attempt" to keep them together.

[bemildred]

4. 'Likud cut deal with Shas to force elections'

As negotiations to build Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu's government intensified on Thursday, The Jerusalem Post received information from a well-placed political source confirming long-standing speculation that Shas made a deal with Netanyahu to prevent Kadima leader Tzipi Livni from forming a coalition in October.

In return for forcing the February 10 election, Netanyahu promised Shas chairman Eli Yishai the Interior Ministry and NIS 2 billion worth of allocations for his party's pet causes, according to the source.

A Shas spokesman denied the report, saying his party would be overjoyed if it were given even NIS 1.5b.

In all, the financial demands being raised by the five parties expected to join a Likud-led coalition add up to almost NIS 10b., according to a source close to the negotiations.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1236269357608&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[Lithos]

9. Awww

Couldn't happen to a better ass. Karma is a bitch.

L-

[LeftishBrit]

12. Good news if turns out to be true!