Finance Minister Silvan Shalom, who succeeded in his efforts to have the first reading of his 2003 budget passed in the Knesset yesterday, failed, for reasons far beyond his control, to retain the support of Labor. Speaking on Arutz-7 today, he acknowledged that it is "nearly impossible" that Labor would return to the government after the primaries: "It's an option only if Ben-Eliezer wins the primaries, and even then, it's practically impossible." He therefore made an impassioned plea to the right wing parties - particularly National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu - to join the government and form what he called a "nationalist government."
Minister Shalom said that the right-wing must not repeat the mistakes of 1992 and 1999, when it toppled right-wing governments (of Yitzchak Shamir and Binyamin Netanyahu, respectively) and were "rewarded" with left-wing governments (headed by Yitzchak Rabin and Ehud Barak, respectively) - the first of which "led us directly to Oslo," and the second of which "led to Camp David, which miraculously and with the help of G-d did not cost us Jerusalem."
Shalom asked to emphasize the absurdity of the situation:
"The reason we had to make these budget cuts that Labor says it objects to is because of the war that erupted here two years ago. But why did the war break out? Because Yossi Sarid and his friends wanted to sell the Land of Israel, and this led to the illusion of Camp David... and that's why Arafat and his gang started the war. And who brought them here in the first place? The very same people who today are complaining about the cut in pensioners' allowances! And who gave them guns? Also them! … We are forced to make all these cuts, and suffer from growing unemployment, all because of this war started by Arafat whom they themselves brought here and armed."
Minister Shalom said that the right-wing must not repeat the mistakes of 1992 and 1999, when it toppled right-wing governments (of Yitzchak Shamir and Binyamin Netanyahu, respectively) and were "rewarded" with left-wing governments (headed by Yitzchak Rabin and Ehud Barak, respectively) - the first of which "led us directly to Oslo," and the second of which "led to Camp David, which miraculously and with the help of G-d did not cost us Jerusalem."
Shalom asked to emphasize the absurdity of the situation:
"The reason we had to make these budget cuts that Labor says it objects to is because of the war that erupted here two years ago. But why did the war break out? Because Yossi Sarid and his friends wanted to sell the Land of Israel, and this led to the illusion of Camp David... and that's why Arafat and his gang started the war. And who brought them here in the first place? The very same people who today are complaining about the cut in pensioners' allowances! And who gave them guns? Also them! … We are forced to make all these cuts, and suffer from growing unemployment, all because of this war started by Arafat whom they themselves brought here and armed."