Livni out in the cold as Israeli parties realign

JERUSALEM - Israel's centre-left opposition dramatically split on Tuesday ahead of an April 9 election, with leader Avi Gabbay announcing he would no longer partner with veteran politician Tzipi Livni as she sat stone-faced next to him.

The announcement means the end of their Zionist Union alliance, which finished with the second most seats in the last general election in 2015 but which has since tumbled far in opinion polls.

The Zionist Union, which was the main opposition party, had been a partnership between the Labour Party led by Avi Gabbay and the smaller Hatnua party headed by Livni.

It won 24 out of 120 seats in 2015, behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud, which won 30.

Since Gabbay took over as head of Labour in 2017, his partnership with Livni had been uneasy and it was unclear if the alliance would continue for the election.

He inherited the partnership from the previous Labour leader, Isaac Herzog.

"I still believe in partnership, in connections, in uniting a large camp committed to change, but successful connections necessitate friendship, upholding agreements and commitment to a course," Gabbay told a meeting of Zionist Union parliament members.

"That didn't happen in this partnership," he said, adding that he believed voters agreed.

"I hoped and believed this alliance would bring about our blossoming, a real connection and we would complement each other. But the public is smart, saw this is not the situation and distanced itself from us," Gabbay said in a nod to the Zionist Union's weak showing in recent opinion polls.

"Tzipi, I wish you success in the election - in any party you're in," he said, announcing the split on live television.

At a news conference later in the day, Livni said she would soldier on and lead Hatnua into the election, although the party has just five lawmakers in the 120-member parliament, compared with Labour's 19.

She admitted Gabbay's announcement had taken her by surprise, rejected insinuations she lacked loyalty and said the split was ultimately for the best.

Recalling the original union with Herzog, Livni called it "a true partnership" between leaders who shared a vision.

"Gabbay was right about one thing today -- it was never a real partnership between us, because he never wanted a partnership," she said. "The way he ended it today is proof."

Livni stressed she wasn't dwelling on the past and would remain focused on ousting Netanyahu in the upcoming vote.

"What's more important than dismantling the Zionist Union is fighting for Zionism," she said.

"What is more important than Labour parting ways with Hatnua is to leave the path on which this government is leading us, so we will be able to separate from the Palestinians," she said.

Livni, who became a leading advocate of a two-state solution, entered politics in 1999 as a member of the right-wing Likud party, serving in several cabinet posts and eventually moving to the centre-left as head of the now-defunct Kadima party.

She was foreign minister from 2006 to 2009 and founded Hatnua in 2012, joining up with Labour to establish the Zionist Union for the 2015 ballot won by Netanyahu, now in his fourth term as Israeli Prime Minister.

Realignment

Gabbay's decision is the latest realignment ahead of the election and more are expected.

On Saturday, two right-wing ministers, Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, announced they were splitting from their Jewish Home party to form a new one that they hope will attract a mixture of secular and religious voters.

A popular former armed forces chief of staff, Benny Gantz, has also signalled his intention to run by forming a new centrist party.

The attorney general is expected to announce his decision on whether to charge Netanyahu in the coming months over ongoing corruption investigations against him. The premier would not be required to step down if indicted.

Netanyahu currently leads what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israel's history and says he would like to have a similar coalition after elections.

"I won't intervene in how the left divides its votes," he said in a statement after Gabbay's announcement.

"What's important to me is that the right forms the next government too, and continues to lead Israel."

Opinion polls have predicted Netanyahu will easily win the snap election he called for April 9, taking between 27 to 31 of parliament's 120 seats - enough to lead a right-wing coalition government, despite the corruption investigations.

Zionist Union trails far behind Netanyahu's Likud and centrist parties in the polls, which predict it will capture only eight to nine seats compared with the 24 it took in its second-place finish in the previous election in 2015.

Netanyahu won't resign

Netanyahu said Monday he would not resign if prosecutors moved to indict him on corruption charges, as authorities continue to probe several cases involving him ahead of the polls in April.

Netanyahu said he would not step down in the event of being summoned for a hearing by the prosecutor general before the elections, a necessary step ahead of being formally charged.

The veteran premier was addressing a press conference streamed online from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where he is on an official visit.

The prime minister will not be required to resign if charged in any of the three cases of alleged corruption, but he would likely face intense political pressure to do so.

"I have no intention to resign, firstly because there will be nothing (to come from the probes), secondly because the law does not oblige me to do so," Netanyahu said in Rio, referring to the hearing process.

"That would be a serious breach of Israeli democracy," he added.

The attorney general's decision on any indictments is expected in the coming months and analysts say Netanyahu's decision to call early elections was a deft manoeuvre to fight any charges with a fresh mandate.

The premier denies all charges against him and polls show he is likely to win the April 9 polls.

In the most recent move by investigators, police recommended Netanyahu be indicted over regulatory benefits allegedly granted to telecommunications firm Bezeq, in exchange for positive coverage from a related media company.

According to Israel media reports, there is sufficient evidence to charge him with corruption in the Bezeq case.

In February, investigators recommended Netanyahu be indicted in two other cases.

In one, allegations against Netanyahu include seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israel's top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival.

Another probe involves suspicions the premier and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours.