Israeli Foreign Minister Tells Olmert to Resign

May 2, 12:00EDT (EIRNS)--Following an hour-long meeting today, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, told Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resign, but she did not present an ultimatum as some had expected, according to a report in the Jerusalem Post today.

The call for resignation follows closely on the release of the Winograd committee report which was highly critical of the government's conduct of last year's Lebanon war. Livni is the first Kadima party cabinet minister calling for Olmert's resignation.

"During my meeting with the prime minister I expressed my personal view that I believe he should step down, but despite various media reports I never gave the prime minister an ultimatum," Livni told a press conference.

There had been speculation earlier in the day that Livni would threaten to resign from the government if Olmert refused to go. She has reiterated that she will not resign. Today's Jerusalem Post cites an unnamed aide to Olmert claiming that the latter threatened to fire Livni if she presented an ultimatum.

Livni also indicated her opposition to the holding of general elections, saying it "would be a mistake at this time."

Livni has been touted in the press as a possible successor to Olmert along with Shimon Peres. In an editorial this morning, the Israeli daily Ha'aretz called for Olmert's resignation and the appointment of an acceptable interim prime minister to serve until early elections can occur. The Ha'aretz editorial cited Shimon Peres as an acceptable interim prime minister to serve until early elections can occur.

However, in a Ha'aretz poll, showing overwhelming public support for the resignation of Olmert, the largest bloc of voters, 26 percent, supported Olmert's replacement with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party head and leading right-winger.

As EIR has reported for the past month, Netanyahu has been working behind the scenes to split the ruling Kadima Party and draw 10 Kadima MKs back to Likud, thus giving him the needed 61 votes to take over the government. A Netanyahu return to power would greatly increase the chances of an Israeli provocation against Iran, and would strengthen the hand of hardliners in the Bush Administration, led by Vice President Dick Cheney and NSC Middle East chief Elliot Abrams, who are both pushing a confrontation with Iran before the Bush Administration leaves office.