Tzipi Livni Forms Party for Next Israel Elections

On the heels of Ehud Barak's stunning resignation, a familiar face is re-entering Israel's political fray. Former foreign minister Tzipi Livni is forming a new party, dubbed the Movement, to give voice to "people who do not have anyone to vote for," the BBC reports. Her platform focuses on a deal with Palestinians: "I won't allow anyone to turn peace into a bad word," she said. At the moment, "everything is upside down: a government that negotiates with terrorists and freezes all dialogue with those who work to prevent attacks," Livni said, referring to Israel's indirect negotiations with Hamas.

"I'm here to fight for Israel, not against anything," she added, according to JTA. Livni is widely respected internationally, but has hit political stumbling blocks in the past; she stepped down as head of the struggling centrist Kadima party earlier this year. She's got a tough road ahead, notes the AP: Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party is ahead in the polls, poised to garner 37 of 120 parliamentary seats, compared to the Movement's nine. Fellow opposition parties don't appear to have the votes to form a controlling centrist coalition, leaving Likud to ally with nationalist and religious parties for a majority. (More Tzipi Livni stories.)