Moshe Ya'alon decides to join Likud
Gil Hoffman , THE JERUSALEM POST Nov. 17, 2008
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Former IDF chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Moshe Ya'alon has decided
to join Likud, he said in a statement Monday.

Ya'alon will a hold a press conference with Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu
to officially announce the move on Tuesday.

Ya'alon's decision is deemed a major coup for Netanyahu, who has also
recently wooed former science minister Benny Begin, former finance minister
Dan Meridor and former IDF spokeswoman Miri Regev to the party.

Netanyahu is also putting pressure on former minister Natan Sharansky to
return to politics.

The Likud will elect its list for the Knesset on December 8, midway between
Labor's December 2 primary and the December 17 race in Kadima.

Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that his political
opponents will try to smear him during the campaign ahead of the February 10
general election, but vowed to refrain from political mudslinging.

Speaking to the Likud central committee at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds,
Netanyahu reached out to his rivals. He said that if the Likud won the
election, he would invite every Zionist party into a broad national unity
government. But he stressed there was still a difficult campaign ahead.