The Cabinet ministers of the Likud party will convene tonight to discuss their party's next moves amidst the political crisis now facing the country. The Labor Party's resignation last night has left the government with only 55 (out of 120) Knesset seats, with no-confidence motions scheduled for as early as next Monday.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has not officially turned to the 7-seat National Union-Israel Beiteinu (NUYB) party, headed by MK Avigdor Lieberman, but it is understood that NUYB is the most likely candidate to join. Lieberman is currently against joining the government, but members of his party do not agree. "If we can't join a right-wing government, then which government can we join?" asks his colleague MK Benny Elon. Lieberman answered this question on Arutz-7 earlier this week, saying that he wants new elections as soon as possible, which would give the right-wing more strength in the Knesset and enable a broader government.
Former MK Chanan Porat, founding leader of the National Union party, said today that he would recommend joining a narrow nationalist government, "but with two conditions. First is the legalization of the outposts, which should not be too problematic. More significantly, the government must postpone all consideration of Bush's Road Map plan - something that is much more dangerous than Oslo - at least until after the next elections."
Prime Minister Sharon must also determine if and how to divvy out the Cabinet posts vacated by the Labor party. The five Labor resignations take effect Friday night. Sharon is strongly considering former IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Sha'ul Mofaz for the position of Defense Minister - although much is being made of the fact that Mofaz left the army only three months ago. Sharon may retain the foreign ministry portfolio for himself, after Shimon Peres rebuffed his offer to remain in the government, or possibly offer it to Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert.
Staffers in Sharon's office say that he may wait until after the Labor primaries on Nov. 19 before he decides what to do. Some say that the Prime Minister does not want to form a government with an "extremist" image, and that he has not given up hope up of Labor re-joining the government - even though chances for such are very slim: Two of the three candidates in the race, Ramon and Mitzna, have been outspokenly in favor of leaving the national unity government, and even the underdog Ben-Eliezer has said that he would not return.
Likud MK Ze'ev Boim explained the importance Sharon attributes to the partnership with Labor: "Shimon Peres has a significant standing abroad, particularly in Europe, and when he says that we won't talk to Arafat until he stops terrorism, this carries weight... It is important that Labor be a part of our government so that Arafat won't succeed in tearing the seams and widening the gaps of our society; our unity is very important."
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has not officially turned to the 7-seat National Union-Israel Beiteinu (NUYB) party, headed by MK Avigdor Lieberman, but it is understood that NUYB is the most likely candidate to join. Lieberman is currently against joining the government, but members of his party do not agree. "If we can't join a right-wing government, then which government can we join?" asks his colleague MK Benny Elon. Lieberman answered this question on Arutz-7 earlier this week, saying that he wants new elections as soon as possible, which would give the right-wing more strength in the Knesset and enable a broader government.
Former MK Chanan Porat, founding leader of the National Union party, said today that he would recommend joining a narrow nationalist government, "but with two conditions. First is the legalization of the outposts, which should not be too problematic. More significantly, the government must postpone all consideration of Bush's Road Map plan - something that is much more dangerous than Oslo - at least until after the next elections."
Prime Minister Sharon must also determine if and how to divvy out the Cabinet posts vacated by the Labor party. The five Labor resignations take effect Friday night. Sharon is strongly considering former IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Sha'ul Mofaz for the position of Defense Minister - although much is being made of the fact that Mofaz left the army only three months ago. Sharon may retain the foreign ministry portfolio for himself, after Shimon Peres rebuffed his offer to remain in the government, or possibly offer it to Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert.
Staffers in Sharon's office say that he may wait until after the Labor primaries on Nov. 19 before he decides what to do. Some say that the Prime Minister does not want to form a government with an "extremist" image, and that he has not given up hope up of Labor re-joining the government - even though chances for such are very slim: Two of the three candidates in the race, Ramon and Mitzna, have been outspokenly in favor of leaving the national unity government, and even the underdog Ben-Eliezer has said that he would not return.
Likud MK Ze'ev Boim explained the importance Sharon attributes to the partnership with Labor: "Shimon Peres has a significant standing abroad, particularly in Europe, and when he says that we won't talk to Arafat until he stops terrorism, this carries weight... It is important that Labor be a part of our government so that Arafat won't succeed in tearing the seams and widening the gaps of our society; our unity is very important."