- Likud comptroller disqualifies Netanyahu from Likud leadership race; PM likely to appeal
- Avigdor Lieberman, Ntanyahu’s far right Foreogn Secretary, chastised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his strategy in talks with the Palestinians . He warned Israel would face a “diplomatic tsunami” and its economy and foreign relations would suffer without an agreement. U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed last spring His comments add uncertainty to the March election as it raises the possibility he might not automatically align his party with Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc.