Of the potential heirs, only the minister of education, Limor Livnat, has offered public words of support.

ECONOMIST: Israel's Greek-island affair

Late Tuesday night, Mr. Netanyahu called Mr. Lapid and urged him to join forces, according to Likud Party minister Limor Livnat.

WSJ: Israel Vote Weakens Premier

Limor Livnat is a Likud Party member of the Israeli parliament and served in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet from 1996 to 1999.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

"If the Palestinians continue with the escalation of the situation, then we won't have any choice" but to stay, one Israeli minister, Limor Livnat, said on Wednesday.

BBC: Israel to leave Palestinian town

Mr Netanyahu is now desperately trying to dissuade the popular minister of defence, Yitzhak Mordechai, and the lone woman in his cabinet, Limor Livnat, from joining the centrists.

ECONOMIST: Israel

The ministers -- Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Health Minister Danny Naveh, Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz and Education Minister Limor Livnat -- are now expected to deliver their resignations Thursday.

CNN: Likud chief: Time for 4 ministers to quit

Three ministers of the Likud party resigned from Sharon's Cabinet on Thursday, following instructions from Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu -- Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz, Education Minister Limor Livnat and Health Minister Danny Naveh.

CNN: Sharon undergoes brain scan

In 2004 as justice minister in Ariel Sharon's government, Livni concocted a detailed fraud to compel her Likud colleagues Binyamin Netanyahu, Limor Livnat and Silvan Shalom to vote in favor of Sharon's bid to withdraw from Gaza and northern Samaria and expel all Jews from the areas.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Mrs. Clean is a fraud