US President Barack Obama is preparing to quietly manipulate the post-election Israeli political scene to ensure that a unity coalition that will comply with his policies for the region takes power in Jerusalem.
That according to London's Daily Telegraph, which cited unnamed sources close to the Obama administration as saying that as long as the president can keep his actions under wraps, he is ready to interfere in Israel's internal politics.
If Benjamin Netanyahu is tapped by Israeli President Shimon Peres to form the next government, as most now expect, then Obama's interference would come in the form of heavy pressure on Tzipi Livni to bring her Kadima Party into Netanyahu's government.
According to the newspaper's sources, Obama fears that a right-wing government headed by Netanyahu would put a freeze on the land-for-peace process, and that by balancing Likud with Kadima he would have a far better chance of overseeing a rapid peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.