Prime Minister Ehud Olmert successfully negotiated a coalition agreement with MK Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu Party, a right-wing party labeled as “extremist” by Israeli-Arab lawmakers and some identified with the political left. Olmert nevertheless remains confident, realizing the move will add 11 mandates to his parliamentary majority, a necessary move to bring stability to his shaky coalition and strengthen the likelihood of his coalition completing its term in office.
While Labor is the main coalition partner, with 19 mandates, Olmert is banking on the fact that Amir Peretz and his colleagues will accept the new coalition partner, albeit with protest, rather than opt to join the benches of the opposition.
Some of the Labor cabinet ministers however, including Eitan Cabel and Ophir Pines, are unwilling to accept the Kadima decree, vowing to fight tenaciously against the inclusion of Lieberman’s party in the coalition.
The two hope to persuade the party’s central committee governing body when it convenes next week to order Peretz to leave the government, which would leave him no choice. Analysts however do not believe this will be the case, confident the central committee will instruct Peretz to remain in the government, perhaps setting conditions towards a future withdrawal, setting ‘red lines’ to legitimize remaining in the coalition in a face-saving move.
Senior Labor official Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer has begun sending letters to his loyalists in the central committee, telling them he opposes breaking away from the coalition. Ben-Eliezer seeks to present a broader picture, explaining the voters are seeking “stability,” and that breaking away from the coalition and bringing down the government will have the opposite result, further de-stabilizing Israel’s political arena.
Ben-Eliezer points out that despite Lieberman’s right-wing party platform, he has accepted the coalition guidelines, the current government’s platform. Ben-Eliezer says that as long as this is the case, there is no justification to cause a stir and leave the coalition.
Peretz, still viewed by most as a political novice, now finds himself in an untenable position. His vociferous statements promising not to sit in a government with Lieberman place him in a no-win situation, now accepting the reality that Olmert is planning to push the Lieberman deal through in record time.
Olmert will most likely convene his cabinet today, Tuesday, hoping to gain government approval for the coalition deal. He may even bring the deal to a Knesset vote today, hoping to wrap up coalition affairs and move ahead with his agenda, confident, with the additional stability Yisrael Beitenu brings to the coalition.
Lieberman will serve as Minister of Strategic Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Office, a custom tapered post created to bring him into a “senior cabinet post” without removing any Labor ministers from their position. The move by Olmert leaves Peretz defenseless, not even able to blame the Lieberman deal of coming on the backs of his party’s ministers.
Olmert is aware that despite objections from Labor and coalition partner Shas, the deal does enjoy a majority among his Kadima Party, the Pensioners Party and a number of Labor ministers. As such, Olmert is pushing the deal through and hope to bring Lieberman into the cabinet as soon as possible.
Lieberman’s swearing-in as a minister will however most likely be pushed off until next week since this week is the Muslim holiday of Id ed-Fitr, the ceremony will be delayed out of respect to Arab lawmakers.
In addition, Labor’s Central Committee will be convening next week and Peretz will have to wait until that time before the party can make a final decision in the coalition matter.
While Labor is the main coalition partner, with 19 mandates, Olmert is banking on the fact that Amir Peretz and his colleagues will accept the new coalition partner, albeit with protest, rather than opt to join the benches of the opposition.
Some of the Labor cabinet ministers however, including Eitan Cabel and Ophir Pines, are unwilling to accept the Kadima decree, vowing to fight tenaciously against the inclusion of Lieberman’s party in the coalition.
The two hope to persuade the party’s central committee governing body when it convenes next week to order Peretz to leave the government, which would leave him no choice. Analysts however do not believe this will be the case, confident the central committee will instruct Peretz to remain in the government, perhaps setting conditions towards a future withdrawal, setting ‘red lines’ to legitimize remaining in the coalition in a face-saving move.
Senior Labor official Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer has begun sending letters to his loyalists in the central committee, telling them he opposes breaking away from the coalition. Ben-Eliezer seeks to present a broader picture, explaining the voters are seeking “stability,” and that breaking away from the coalition and bringing down the government will have the opposite result, further de-stabilizing Israel’s political arena.
Ben-Eliezer points out that despite Lieberman’s right-wing party platform, he has accepted the coalition guidelines, the current government’s platform. Ben-Eliezer says that as long as this is the case, there is no justification to cause a stir and leave the coalition.
Peretz, still viewed by most as a political novice, now finds himself in an untenable position. His vociferous statements promising not to sit in a government with Lieberman place him in a no-win situation, now accepting the reality that Olmert is planning to push the Lieberman deal through in record time.
Olmert will most likely convene his cabinet today, Tuesday, hoping to gain government approval for the coalition deal. He may even bring the deal to a Knesset vote today, hoping to wrap up coalition affairs and move ahead with his agenda, confident, with the additional stability Yisrael Beitenu brings to the coalition.
Lieberman will serve as Minister of Strategic Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Office, a custom tapered post created to bring him into a “senior cabinet post” without removing any Labor ministers from their position. The move by Olmert leaves Peretz defenseless, not even able to blame the Lieberman deal of coming on the backs of his party’s ministers.
Olmert is aware that despite objections from Labor and coalition partner Shas, the deal does enjoy a majority among his Kadima Party, the Pensioners Party and a number of Labor ministers. As such, Olmert is pushing the deal through and hope to bring Lieberman into the cabinet as soon as possible.
Lieberman’s swearing-in as a minister will however most likely be pushed off until next week since this week is the Muslim holiday of Id ed-Fitr, the ceremony will be delayed out of respect to Arab lawmakers.
In addition, Labor’s Central Committee will be convening next week and Peretz will have to wait until that time before the party can make a final decision in the coalition matter.