Bibi Rejects Livni Bid for Coalition

Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu has rejected Tzipi Livni’s proposal for a coalition and called for early elections. As of now, elections are scheduled for 2010, but if Livni cannot put a coalition together it appears that a national election may take place as early as January.

President Shimon Peres gave Livni the official green light to start coalition building. Livni needs 61 or more seats in the 120 member Knesset for her government. The previous Kadima coalition, led by Ehud Olmert, had 64 members consisting mainly of Kadima, Labor, Shas.