Joining his fellow Likud MKs in disparaging Tzipi Livni’s announcement that she was giving up her rotation agreement with Zionist Union co-chair Yitzhak Herzog, was Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu himself. 

Livni dropped the news bomb Monday night, claiming that maintaing the rotation deal would constitute an obstacle to Herzog forming the next government. 

According to Livni, the most important goal for the joint Labor-Hatnua list is to replace Netanyahu as Prime Minister. 

Right-wing politicians, a number of them from the Likud, took no time in expressing their ire at the announcement, particularly the fact it took place the night before elections. 

Netanyahu was similarly accusatory, telling Channel Two that Livni and Herzog are in a panic over the narrowing gap (in the polls) between Likud and Labor. 

“This just proves how necessary it is to close that gap and win,” the Prime Minister stressed. 

“Two things are evident: the first is that they are lying – either that they lied before or they’re lying now. The second thing – they are unable to handle the pressure.” 

“If they can’t withstand the pressure of the polls, how will they be able to handle international pressure?” Netanyahu pondered.