NETANYAHU'S KNESSET PM SPEECH

Key excepts from Benyamin Netanhayu's inaugural Knesset speech:

The State of Israel was established during its most difficult hour, an hour during which the words of the Declaration of Independence echoed in our ears: “The Land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped. Here they first attained statehood, created cultural values of national and universal significance and gave to the world the eternal Book of Books. After being forcibly exiled from their land, the people kept faith with it throughout their Dispersion and never ceased to pray and hope for their return to its land and for the restoration in it of their political freedom.”

I am pleased that the Labor Party, a movement with deep roots and of great contributions to the history of Zionism and settlement, eventually made the responsible decision for the good of the country to join hands with the Likud Movement and our other partners.

I wish to express appreciation to the members of this house who understood the enormous responsibility we are facing, and took the decision, not without hesitation, to extend a hand and provide support for the unity government.

The security crisis we are facing originates from the rise and spread of radical Islam in our region and in other parts of the world. The greatest threat to humanity, and to the State of Israel, stems from the possibility that a radical regime will be armed with nuclear weapons or that nuclear weapons will find a home in a radical regime. I wish to distinguish fundamentalist Islam from the overall Muslim and Arab world, which is also threatened by the extremists.

My Government will act vis-à-vis the Palestinian Authority to achieve peace on three parallel tracks: economic, security and political. We strive to assist with the accelerated development of the Palestinian economy and in developing its economic ties with Israel. We will support a Palestinian security mechanism that will fight terror, and we will conduct ongoing peace negotiations with the PA, with the aim of reaching a final status arrangement.

We are on the eve of the Passover holiday and the Seder. At our national table, there is an empty chair: that of Gilad Shalit. I will do everything in my power to quickly return him healthy to the bosom of his family, and will act to return all our missing soldiers. (Read full speech here)

Commentary from The Weekly Standard here.

LIKUD KADIMA ALLIANCE?

Isreali National News is reporting that Likud has offered Kadima a number of cabinet positions, in order to form of a government together:

Senior aides in the Likud party said late Wednesday that chairman Binyamin Netanyahu has offered Kadima two senior Cabinet positions in exchange for its joining a nation unity government.

The two parties comprise 55 Knesset seats, leaving the Likud the option of completing the government with religious and strongly nationalist parties or Israel Is Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu).

Kadima reportedly was offered to choose among the defense, finance and foreign affairs ministries. (Read full article here)

The Jerusalem Post denotes that both Likud and Kadima insiders are privately conveying the accepted political reality that both parties, for historical reasons, will probably have to unite.

The DEBKA File asserts that Netanyahu proffered 10 portfolios to Livni, no rotating leadership and desires to incorporate Labor head Ehud Barak into his coalition.

On the Kadima front, however, Livni is pushing Avigdor Lieberman very hard to, at a modicum, sway him to recommend to Pres. Shimon Peres that she get a first shot to form a new administration.

Access Benyamin Netanyahu-Likud's official home page here, Facebook profile here, You Tube site here and FlickR photostream here and Twitter him here.

WHO WILL LEAD ISRAEL?

Tomorrow Israelis head to the polls in order to determine who will be their next Prime Minister.(Photos courtesy of Zipni's Facebook page and Netanyahu's Facebook page)

Netanyahu calls for "unity" in a news conference he held with Yuval Rabin, son of the late, great Yitzhak Rabin.

IDF Soldiers and Border Police have begun voting already, as polling continues to trend towards a tight Likud victory tomorrow. It seems that the Yisrael Beiteinu Party is the dark horse that could have a huge impact, as well.

Avigdor Lieberman, their chairman, is open to a coalition with Livni in case of a Kadima-Likud tie in the Knesset.

Outgoing PM Olmert formally endorses Livni and postulates that she will be the "18th Prime Minister" of the Jewish state.

Likud is very concerned that Kadima will gain a come from behind victory, especially as Livni pushes secular voters, independents, young adults and the key female demographic.

Follow special campaign coverage @ The Jersulem Post, YNet News, Haaretz and Isreal National News.

Live blogging and security related alerts @ The Muqata, Isreallycool and Israpundit.

Crossposted @ Let's Get It Right.