Jerusalem, Feb. 20 : Israeli President Shimon Peres is expected persuade Kadima leader Tzipi Livni to join a national unity government headed by Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu.

Netanhayu said Israel is facing a difficult situation, and there is a need for a broad-based government.

"A wide national-unity government is especially necessary in light of the major challenges Israel is facing from Iran, terror and the international economic crisis," The Jerusalem Post quoted Netanhayu, as saying.

Netanhayu's attempts have not persuaded Livni or Ehud Barak's Labor party to join on one platform.

Livni, who is Israel's Foreign Minister, has sent out a text message to some 80,000 Kadima workers last week in which she said : "The path of such a government is not our own and we have nothing to look for there. You didn''t vote for us in order to provide a kosher certificate for a right-wing government, and we need to provide an alternative of hope from the opposition."

According to sources Livni is in no mood to backtrack from her stance.

"She knows that only the Prime Minister decides things in this country and she isn't willing to be a bumper, a stain remover or a whitener for a Bibi-Lieberman government that her voters didn''t want her to join," a close-aide of Livni said. (ANI)