Netanyahu to warn coalition partners: Loyalty or elections

[Jefferson23]

Netanyahu says at his birthday party that Israel does not need new elections.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will meet with the heads of the parties inside his governing coalition Wednesday and threaten them that if they continue insubordination he will initiate early elections, sources close to Netanyahu said Tuesday.

Netanyahu will meet with Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid, Yisrael Beytenu's Avigdor Liberman, Bayit Yehudi's Naftali Bennett, and Hatnua's Tzipi Livni to try to reach compromises on legislation and other key issues that could keep the coalition together for at least another year.

"The last thing the people of Israel need now is an election," Netanyahu said at a birthday celebration at the Prime Minister's Office. "We want to continue with this government, with this Knesset, to continue leading the people of Israel along the correct path." Netanyahu raised speculation that he wanted early elections when he told Hatnua on Monday that he would prevent legislating the faction's conversion bill and when he took steps to advance the Likud's internal leadership primary. His associates said that despite his reassurances at his birthday party, he is still mulling initiating elections.

"What Netanyahu said does not mean we won't deteriorate to early elections, which could still happen," a source close to the prime minister said. "We will no longer accept threats from coalition partners. If they refuse to compromise, it would lead to elections." Lapid said Tuesday that he does not believe the coalition is crumbling or that elections are on the way. He said that while he disagrees with Netanyahu on the conversion bill, there would not be a coalition crisis on the issue.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/At-his-birthday-party-Netanyahu-says-Israel-does-not-need-new-