JTA’s Uriel Heilman outlines the difficult choice facing Tzipi LIvni over whether or not to join Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu’s coalition government:

On the one hand, Livni wants no part of a government that is not committed to peacemaking with the Palestinians, which has been her primary focus for the last year and a half. She fears that any coalition with the likes of Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu would make pursuing peace impossible, and Kadima’s presence in the government would serve as little more than a fig leaf for hawkish policy. Moreover, staying in the opposition would give Livni a chance to build Kadima from the outside as a party devoted to peace, and an alternative to a government that could be on a collision course with Washington — not to mention the Arab world. Such a government, she must figure, would be unlikely to last a full term.

However, if Livni refuses to partner with Bibi in a coalition government, she pretty much guarantees Israel’s next government will be unabashadly right wing. Instead, she could join Likud and possibly mitigate the government’s hawkishness and give Netanyahu more room to maneuver when it comes to Arab-Israel peacemaking. That would be the case especially if Labor joined the government, too. Furthermore, given the unique threats Israel faces — especially from Iran — the country could use a national unity government.

For Livni, the choice may be between party and country.

What will Bibi’s government look like? (JTA)