Olmert and Peretz agreed that Labor will head a ministerial committee on non-Jewish affairs, Labor's Ephraim Sneh will be named Deputy Defense Minister - the first Deputy Minister in the current government - and that the government guidelines will not be changed to accommodate Yisrael Beiteinu.
Labor Party MKs will convene on Sunday, but are not expected to break away from the ruling coalition to join the ranks of the opposition, despite the introduction of Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) into the coalition. Peretz announced today that he will recommend that the party accept Yisrael Beiteinu's entry into the coalition.
Peretz has released, in recent weeks, numerous strong statements expressing his opposition to the deal bringing Yisrael Beiteinu into the coalition. However, it was essentially finalized this week that party leader MK Avigdor Lieberman will serve as Minister of Strategic Affairs, assigned to the Prime Minister’s Office. Lieberman will also be a deputy prime minister and a member of the Security Cabinet.
Some Labor members are unwilling to abandon their fight, continuing to lead the opposition to Yisrael Beiteinu's entry. Opponents include party ministers Ophir Pines and Eitan Cabel, as well as MKs Danny Yatom and Shelly Yechimovitch. They continue continue to attempt to persuade the party's Central Committee members to vote against it when the committee convenes this Sunday.
MK Yossi Beilin - a former Labor MK and currently the head of the left-wing Meretz Party - has called for those Labor MKs who oppose the entry of Yisrael Beiteinu to split off from Labor.
The inclusion of Yisrael Beiteinu adds 11 mandates to the coalition, providing Olmert with a comfortable Knesset majority of nearly 2/3 of the Knesset.
Analysts point out however that even with the stable majority giving Olmert a comfortable base from which to begin moving ahead with his policies, the government has no such policies to implement. Olmert’s flagship policy was his Realignment Plan, calling for the removal of Jewish communities from Judea and Samaria. However, following the war in Lebanon, and in light of increasing Gaza terrorism, Olmert placed this plan in deep-freeze for the foreseeable future. Senior intelligence community officials and others are predicting that the IDF will be compelled to enter Gaza in the near future.
Though ex-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, father of the Disengagement which the Realignment would have continued, acknowledged that the Gaza withdrawal would not totally eliminate Gaza-based terror, he did promise that day-to-day fighting would end and that Kassam rocket attacks would not be tolerated.
In fact, however, the Kassam rocket attacks continue to increase in frequency, and the situation for residents of Sderot and western Negev communities is deteriorating daily.
The government has also failed to meet its responsibility to fortify public buildings in those areas. With many schools still not capable of withstanding rocket attacks, many pupils still study in unsafe buildings.
Defense Minister Peretz stated this week that the IDF will continue operating in Gaza, but stated the government agenda does not include re-taking control of Gaza.
Labor Party MKs will convene on Sunday, but are not expected to break away from the ruling coalition to join the ranks of the opposition, despite the introduction of Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) into the coalition. Peretz announced today that he will recommend that the party accept Yisrael Beiteinu's entry into the coalition.
Peretz has released, in recent weeks, numerous strong statements expressing his opposition to the deal bringing Yisrael Beiteinu into the coalition. However, it was essentially finalized this week that party leader MK Avigdor Lieberman will serve as Minister of Strategic Affairs, assigned to the Prime Minister’s Office. Lieberman will also be a deputy prime minister and a member of the Security Cabinet.
Some Labor members are unwilling to abandon their fight, continuing to lead the opposition to Yisrael Beiteinu's entry. Opponents include party ministers Ophir Pines and Eitan Cabel, as well as MKs Danny Yatom and Shelly Yechimovitch. They continue continue to attempt to persuade the party's Central Committee members to vote against it when the committee convenes this Sunday.
MK Yossi Beilin - a former Labor MK and currently the head of the left-wing Meretz Party - has called for those Labor MKs who oppose the entry of Yisrael Beiteinu to split off from Labor.
The inclusion of Yisrael Beiteinu adds 11 mandates to the coalition, providing Olmert with a comfortable Knesset majority of nearly 2/3 of the Knesset.
Analysts point out however that even with the stable majority giving Olmert a comfortable base from which to begin moving ahead with his policies, the government has no such policies to implement. Olmert’s flagship policy was his Realignment Plan, calling for the removal of Jewish communities from Judea and Samaria. However, following the war in Lebanon, and in light of increasing Gaza terrorism, Olmert placed this plan in deep-freeze for the foreseeable future. Senior intelligence community officials and others are predicting that the IDF will be compelled to enter Gaza in the near future.
Though ex-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, father of the Disengagement which the Realignment would have continued, acknowledged that the Gaza withdrawal would not totally eliminate Gaza-based terror, he did promise that day-to-day fighting would end and that Kassam rocket attacks would not be tolerated.
In fact, however, the Kassam rocket attacks continue to increase in frequency, and the situation for residents of Sderot and western Negev communities is deteriorating daily.
The government has also failed to meet its responsibility to fortify public buildings in those areas. With many schools still not capable of withstanding rocket attacks, many pupils still study in unsafe buildings.
Defense Minister Peretz stated this week that the IDF will continue operating in Gaza, but stated the government agenda does not include re-taking control of Gaza.