The Labor Party yesterday suspended its membership in the coalition and demanded \"clarifications\" from Prime Minister Sharon. The storm arose around a proposal by MK Uri Ariel (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) to establish a committee of inquiry into how the Oslo negotiations came about. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres very much did not like this idea, and delivered a very angry Knesset rebuttal: \"We did, in Oslo, the right thing... We will yet return to the Oslo path. It has the justice of truth! It has political truth! It is vital for the Jewish future of the State of Israel! You [plural] have no answers, only blood!…\"
Peres suggested, instead, an investigation into the establishment of the Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. MK Ariel agreed: \"To your credit, Mr. Foreign Minister, I say that you led a glorious campaign of settlement all over the country, from Kfar Darom, to Ofrah, in the valley, and along the mountain ridge - and I think that you, and others, deserve recognition by the Knesset.\"
Ariel explained to Arutz-7 today that his original proposal for an investigation does not refer to the Oslo Agreements, \"which the public is judging every day for itself,\" but rather to the steps that led up to the formation of Oslo: \"Yossi Beilin and [others] agree that these steps were not democratic or transparent… I\'m referring to the [then-]illegal contacts with PLO, the contacts by Beilin without the knowledge of the Prime Minister or Foreign Minister - we should look into this, so that it won\'t happen again. Peres left his office when he heard about this debate and came specially to the Knesset in order to respond, but I don\'t know why he is so upset. When he suggested an inquiry into the settlements, I agreed right away, as he was involved in the establishment of many of them.\" Ariel\'s proposal failed to pass, in a 34-26 vote, but Ariel said that he will consider raising it again a month from now, after the required waiting-period has passed. \"I am glad that the issue is now on the public agenda,\" he said.
Peres suggested, instead, an investigation into the establishment of the Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. MK Ariel agreed: \"To your credit, Mr. Foreign Minister, I say that you led a glorious campaign of settlement all over the country, from Kfar Darom, to Ofrah, in the valley, and along the mountain ridge - and I think that you, and others, deserve recognition by the Knesset.\"
Ariel explained to Arutz-7 today that his original proposal for an investigation does not refer to the Oslo Agreements, \"which the public is judging every day for itself,\" but rather to the steps that led up to the formation of Oslo: \"Yossi Beilin and [others] agree that these steps were not democratic or transparent… I\'m referring to the [then-]illegal contacts with PLO, the contacts by Beilin without the knowledge of the Prime Minister or Foreign Minister - we should look into this, so that it won\'t happen again. Peres left his office when he heard about this debate and came specially to the Knesset in order to respond, but I don\'t know why he is so upset. When he suggested an inquiry into the settlements, I agreed right away, as he was involved in the establishment of many of them.\" Ariel\'s proposal failed to pass, in a 34-26 vote, but Ariel said that he will consider raising it again a month from now, after the required waiting-period has passed. \"I am glad that the issue is now on the public agenda,\" he said.