On June 24, the Jewish Agency approved the appointment of the Zionist Camp’s Isaac Herzog as its next chairman. In accepting the nomination, Herzog effectively resigned his position as Knesset opposition leader. The prestigious appointment generated all sorts of shockwaves, including an ultimatum by the Zionist Camp's Tzipi Livni issued the following day. It was hard to miss the fleeting expression of shock on the face of Zionist Camp leader Avi Gabbay during the party’s Knesset faction meeting, where Gabbay found himself ambushed by Livni.
During a live broadcast, Livni demanded that she be appointed to replace Herzog as opposition chair, or she would end her party’s partnership with Labor. Hatnua, Livni's party, and Labor are the two factions in the Zionist Camp alliance. Livni’s statement, clearly a carefully crafted message, was fired with remarkable precision to catch Gabbay off guard: “I see the opposition leadership as essential for the continuation of the partnership. It can be a great opportunity to strengthen the partnership,” she said. This hit Gabbay before he had even had time to recover from Herzog’s surprise move.
