Despite American pressure and Peres’ efforts, Lieberman emerged as a broker behind the Likud-Kadima coalition government. Now, that is odd. Lieberman’s bargaining power would be greater in a narrow government, which he could make or break at will; in a broad government his party is irrelevant, as there are enough MKs besides his to keep the coalition.
It is unlikely that Lieberman will risk his right-wing credentials by bringing Kadima into the coalition solely to make the haredi parties irrelevant and push through his civil marriage law.
By facilitating a wide coalition, Lieberman pays Kadima back for its help during the elections (Kadima propped Lieberman to draw voters from Likud), or pays them off to hang the criminal proceedings against him.
Kadima accepted all of Lieberman’s coalition demands except the loyalty test for citizenship, paving the way to a government without Likud. Netanyahu welcomed Livni into the coalition, paving the way to an amorphous national unity government. In the most newsworthy (but commonly ignored) development, Lieberman urgently flew to Byelorussia, probably to meet his major sponsor for consultations. In his absence, Yisrael Beitenu’s negotiations are handled by Mr. Misezhnikov Stanislav (what a nice Slavic name, Stanislav). But look, if Kadima accepted all his demands, what is so right-wing about Lieberman?
