Taking A Hard Line

In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu has obtained the support of ultra-right wing nationalist Avigdor Lieberman, giving him the opportunity to form a very right-wing, hard-line government coalition that will make the current group that attacked Gaza look like Che Guevara leftists by comparison.

Benjamin Netanyahu's chances of becoming Israel's prime minister appeared to improve on Thursday after he won the conditional backing of a kingpin politician who heads a far-right party.

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, recommended to President Shimon Peres that he tap Netanyahu to form a government, on condition the right-wing Likud chief pursued a broad coalition. Netanyahu has said he would do so.

Peres could announce as early on Friday, after wrapping up consultations with party leaders, whether he will ask Netanyahu or centrist Kadima chief Tzipi Livni to put together a governing coalition.

Both laid claim to the premiership after Kadima won 28 seats in the 120-member parliament to Likud's 27 in Israel's inconclusive February 10 election.

With Lieberman's support, Netanyahu has the backing of some 65 legislators, enough for a narrow, governing majority of right-wing and religious parties.

Now, there's actually something of a problem here. Netanyahu and Lieberman can't totally tell Tzipi Livni to kiss off, and they certainly can't tell Barack Obama to go to hell either. Lieberman is talking about coalition building and playing nice for now.

Don't believe him. I see nothing but trouble coming out of this mess for the US and the world. The fact of the matter is they need Israel's leftists and moderates to give them any sort of political legitimacy whatsoever, because if Israel goes the hard-line route, they're done. Obama will have no choice but to do something about them.

We'll see how it turns out.