The Likud has responded negatively to some of the Labor party\'s demands in the coalition negotiations - and some Labor participants are not optimistic about the chances that a national unity government between them will actually be formed. Sharon\'s negotiating team told Labor that it does not agree to include a clause in the government guidelines calling for the \"dismantling of individual settlements if need be.\" Labor negotiators said that their Likud counterparts refuse to formulate specific guidelines.
Wrangling within Labor continues, as Barak and Peres each claim that they should lead the negotiations. In addition, Barak also demands the right to name the Labor ministers, while Peres insists that a party committee be established for the task. As far as the ministries that Labor ministers will be assigned, Peres demands only the Foreign Ministry - \"I want to contribute to the peace\" - while Barak has been offered the Defense Ministry by Sharon, and may be wavering on his decision to resign. If Barak sticks to his decision to quit, and if a unity government is formed, Defense will apparently go to Housing Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, a former IDF General. Ben-Eliezer became the second Labor figure - after Avraham Burg - to propose his candidacy for the party leadership. At a press conference in Tel Aviv today, he said that he is totally confident that he can rehabilitate the party after its crushing Prime Ministerial election defeat.
One Labor party leader who will not be joining a unity government is Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami. \"I respect the public craving for a unity government,\" he said today, \"but it is clear to me that the path that I helped lead has not won the public trust - and whoever does not merit the public trust must perform some introspection. The proper place for introspection is in the opposition.\"
The National Religious Party faction also convened today, and announced that although it strongly favors a unity government, it would not join such a coalition at any cost. \"If the coalition guidelines include the possibility that settlements may be dismantled, we will not join,\" stated the NRP.
Wrangling within Labor continues, as Barak and Peres each claim that they should lead the negotiations. In addition, Barak also demands the right to name the Labor ministers, while Peres insists that a party committee be established for the task. As far as the ministries that Labor ministers will be assigned, Peres demands only the Foreign Ministry - \"I want to contribute to the peace\" - while Barak has been offered the Defense Ministry by Sharon, and may be wavering on his decision to resign. If Barak sticks to his decision to quit, and if a unity government is formed, Defense will apparently go to Housing Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, a former IDF General. Ben-Eliezer became the second Labor figure - after Avraham Burg - to propose his candidacy for the party leadership. At a press conference in Tel Aviv today, he said that he is totally confident that he can rehabilitate the party after its crushing Prime Ministerial election defeat.
One Labor party leader who will not be joining a unity government is Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami. \"I respect the public craving for a unity government,\" he said today, \"but it is clear to me that the path that I helped lead has not won the public trust - and whoever does not merit the public trust must perform some introspection. The proper place for introspection is in the opposition.\"
The National Religious Party faction also convened today, and announced that although it strongly favors a unity government, it would not join such a coalition at any cost. \"If the coalition guidelines include the possibility that settlements may be dismantled, we will not join,\" stated the NRP.