Female rising star of Israeli politics given No. 2 posting
 

Tzipi Livni, the female rising star of Israeli politics, was named foreign minister and vice premier Monday in the incoming Israeli government - the second most powerful player on the nation's male-dominated scene.

Incoming Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's plan to draw Israel's borders in the next four years, with or without a peace accord with the Palestinians, is the political centerpiece of his new coalition.

However, in stitching together a majority team, he had to scrap his pledge to include only parties that back the plan.

Olmert's Kadima Party won 29 seats of the 120 in the parliament, the most among theparties but far fewer than the 61 he needs to govern. The two natural partiners -- the seven-seat Pensioners Party and the moderate Labor with 19, took the count only to 55.

That left ultra-Orthodox Shas in the position to dictate its terms in exchange for its 12 seats, and it refused to back the West Bank redeployment. However, Olmert can count on the leftist Meretz Party and Arab Israeli parties to provide a solid parliamentary majority.