JERUSALEM, Jan. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom resigned from the cabinet on Friday, bringing the Likud Party's participation in the government to an end.

    During a meeting between Shalom and Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu Thursday afternoon, Shalom agreed to hand in his letter of resignation on Friday.

    Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (Kadima Party) will be replacing Shalom as foreign minister, Israel Radio reported Friday.

    Shalom's resignation came one day after the Likud Central Committee voted on the party's list of parliament candidates.

    Deputy parliament speaker Moshe Kahlon won the first place in the vote -- making him the third on the list, since Netanyahu automatically gets the first place and No. 2 spot is reserved for Shalom.

    Netanyahu termed the result as proof that the Likud's renaissance was underway and suggested that the party would immediately rise in the polls. He said there is no democracy in Kadima but there is democracy in the Likud.

    A Kadima spokesman attacked the Likud for "electing a list full of disengagement opponents and extremists."

    A Labor campaign spokesperson said the list was "too right wing-- economically and diplomatically," and the Likud would end upbeing a satellite of Kadima.

    Netanyahu had wanted all Likud ministers to resign to protest government policies just as his party was selecting its parliament list.

    On Thursday, Education Minister Limor Livnat, Health Minister Dan Naveh and Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz handed in their letters of resignation to Netanyahu, but Shalom refused, saying that he would do so on Sunday.

    Netanyahu and Shalom then agreed to meet Thursday afternoon in an effort to resolve a row over Netanyahu's demand for the party's four ministers to submit their resignations. Enditem