Israel PM Netanyahu's defeated poll rival to sit in opposition
20 March 2015 2:03 AM GMT
As a triumphant Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated the process of forming the new government, his main rival on Thursday ruled out joining it, saying that sitting in the opposition was
the only "realistic option" for his party after it lost the election.
"I pledge that one day we will bring about the desired change. We worked really hard; we invested our souls and went up and down the country. The public is waiting for us to raise our heads and march on with our way," Isaac Herzog said a day after his Zionist Union's shock defeat by Netanyahu's Likud party even as he accused the premier of running an election campaign based on "racism and fear-mongering".
"It now seems that the realistic option is going to the opposition, and we proved that we know how to be a fighting opposition. We will be the substitute for a narrow right-wing government," Herzog added, speaking at a meeting with his party's new Knesset list.
The election showed that "the nation wants an extreme right-wing government. We will challenge it," Herzog told Israeli Army Radio.
He also accused Netanyahu of running "a deep intimidation campaign that played on the deepest fea premier's earlier claim that foreign governments were working to oust him was a "complete lie". Zionist Union's co-leader Tzipi Livni noted that "the path Netanyahu and his partners are laying out for the country is not our way.
the only "realistic option" for his party after it lost the election.
"I pledge that one day we will bring about the desired change. We worked really hard; we invested our souls and went up and down the country. The public is waiting for us to raise our heads and march on with our way," Isaac Herzog said a day after his Zionist Union's shock defeat by Netanyahu's Likud party even as he accused the premier of running an election campaign based on "racism and fear-mongering".
"It now seems that the realistic option is going to the opposition, and we proved that we know how to be a fighting opposition. We will be the substitute for a narrow right-wing government," Herzog added, speaking at a meeting with his party's new Knesset list.
The election showed that "the nation wants an extreme right-wing government. We will challenge it," Herzog told Israeli Army Radio.
He also accused Netanyahu of running "a deep intimidation campaign that played on the deepest fea premier's earlier claim that foreign governments were working to oust him was a "complete lie". Zionist Union's co-leader Tzipi Livni noted that "the path Netanyahu and his partners are laying out for the country is not our way.
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