ISRAEL : Netanyahu Continues Conciliatory Talk

After Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu sat down with defeated rival Shimon Peres--whom he once described as “deluded”--in their first post-election meeting, the Likud Party leader said he was looking forward to more sessions. Such conciliatory talk fueled speculation that Netanyahu will invite Peres’ defeated Labor Party into his government--a move that could keep hard-liners at bay and allay the fears of Israel’s Arab negotiating partners, who worry that Netanyahu will renege on promises made by the Peres government.