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Israeli Labour party chairman, Avi Gabbay, announced yesterday that Tzipi Livni will be the new leader of the Israeli opposition.

Livni replaces Isaac Herzog who has been appointed head of the Jewish Agency in Israel. The decision to choose Livni, who is the head of the liberal Hatnua party, has ensured that Hatnua’s alliance with Labour – called the ‘Zionist Union’ will remain in place for the next general election, which is due by November 2019.

The Times of Israel reports that Gabbay is not able to serve as leader of the opposition as he is not currently a member of the Israeli Parliament – the Knesset.

Livni said, in a statement released following her appointment, that her leadership would create “a strong opposition and a strong alternative for Israel, with the Zionist Union at the centre”. She defended the reason for the decision “to strengthen the Zionist Union as the basis for creating a wide bloc, to work together,” as head of the opposition with Gabbay as the head of the Zionist Union and candidate for prime minister, “in order to replace the government”.

Livni’s nomination is not officially confirmed until a motion by the Knesset speaker is approved by more than half of the 54 opposition Knesset members.

Livni’s Hatnua party, founded in 2012, merged with the Labour party to form the Zionist Union and won 24 seats in the 2015 general election and is currently the second largest party in the Knesset. Herzog described Livni’s appointment as “the right decision,” and supported the continued partnership between Hatnua and Labour.

Livni previously served in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Government as Foreign Minister and chief negotiator with the Palestinians during the Annapolis peace process from 2006 to 2009. She has also twice served as Minister of Justice from 2006-7 under Prime Minister Olmert and under Prime Minister Netanyahu from 2013-14.