A recipe for political disaster

The rotation agreement signed between Labor leader Isaac Herzog and Hatnuah leader Tzipi Livni, which states that if Labor wins the elections each would serve as prime minister for two years, is reminiscent of when Israel had a rotation government in the 1980s.

The 1984 elections ended with a tie between the two major blocs, as the Alignment party (now Labor) won 44 mandates and the Likud won 41 mandates. Then-Alignment chairman Shimon Peres failed to form a government and, encouraged by President Chaim Herzog, formed a rotation government with Likud leader Yitzhak Shamir. The deal stipulated that Peres would be prime minister for the first two years, and Shamir would follow with a two-year term of his own.

While both governments marked significant achievements -- curbing the inflation raging at the time, and withdrawing the Israeli military from most of Lebanon -- the relationship between Peres and Shamir was plagued by distrust, which crippled the national unity government and prevented it from making any progress in the peace process.

Tensions flared in 1986, when it came time for Peres to hand over the reins to Shamir, and Herzog had to resume his role as mediator. Peres complained to the president that the Likud had rejected all Alignment's demands for the new coalition, while Shamir complained that Peres' demands contradicted the original coalition deal signed between the parties. A compromise was eventually reached, but the rotation government never knew smooth sailing.

The 1988 elections saw another tie between the two major blocs, as the Likud won 40 mandates and Alignment won 39. This time, it was Shamir who was unable to form a government. After his attempts to form a narrow, 65-seat coalition with the Right's other factions and the religious parties proved futile, Herzog stepped in once again, and convinced Shamir that despite the animosity between him and Peres, they should form a unity government headed by Likud.

This government lasted just under two years, until March 1990, and ended with one of the most infamous incidents is Israel's political history, when Peres' faction voted in favor of the opposition's no-confidence motion, so to topple Shamir's government and essentially force a rotation. While the move ended Shamir's government, Peres had failed to form an alternative government and elections were called.

Isaac Herzog, the president's son, was in his 20s when both rotation governments were formed. He may not remember the bad blood between Peres and Shamir and the barbs traded between them during the secret meetings they held with his father at the President's Residence, but given Livni's denigrating remarks against a prime minister whose government she was a part of for two years, Labor's leader would be wise to assess the risks he is undertaking by pursuing the partnership with her and her party.