Benny Up To Bat

As widely expected, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu has been given a chance to form a coalition government with himself as Prime Minister.

The decision comes after Avigdor Lieberman, head of the right-wing Yisrael Beytenu party, said he would recommend Netanyahu for the post, but only if he promises to form a "broad-based" coalition government.

In last week's parliamentary elections, no single party won the minimum 61 seats needed to form a government. That means a government of two or more parties is virtually inevitable.

To become Israel's next prime minister, Netanyahu must form a coalition within six weeks, or the process will start all over.

The ruling moderate Kadima Party won the most seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. But Kadima, led by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, received one more seat than Netanyahu's conservative Likud Party.

The strong showing of other right-wing parties -- including Yisrael Beytenu and the Orthodox Shas movement -- could give Netanyahu a better chance of forming a coalition government.

With the other right-wing parties backing him up, Netanyahu does have the support to form a government. The question at this point is will it include the moderate Kadima party of Livni or not.

Netanyahu can't afford to freeze them out, or he seriously risks damaging relations with President Obama. I'm curious as to how he will balance what Lieberman and the ultra-nationalists want with what Livni and the moderates want. If you thought Obama had to walk a fine line, you don't want to be in Bibi's shoes.

Right now all sides are talking inclusion and power-sharing and uniting to help Israel. That'll change once Netanyahu gets settled. I predict serious friction between the US and Israel in 2009. From an objective point of view, Netanyahu's job is actually worse than Obama's predicament right now.