Netanyahu threatened to fire Livni over meeting with Abbas

Chief Israeli negotiator Tzipi Livni was nearly fired after meeting with Palestinian Authority Head Mahmoud Abbas in London last week, the first meeting between the two since the April 29 breakdown of the latest round of talks.

The Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's threat to fire Livni was first reported by Ma'arivt that quoted sources saying that the prime minister had only found out about the meeting after the fact and was furious with her for going against Israeli cabinet policy to cease negotiations following the Hamas-Fatah unity deal.

According to the report in Ma'ariv, Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid urged Netanyahu to reconsider firing Livni, warning that it could bring about the government's dissolution.

Following the meeting, Bayit Yehudi leader and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett too attacked on Livni, calling on her to leave the Israeli government coalition.

Bennet said Livni had "lost touch with the Israeli voter a long time ago, but with her last meeting she showed that she is like a satellite lost in orbit, with no connection to the planet Earth."