The newly-elected Likud Central Committee convened last night on the backdrop of the competition between Prime Minister Sharon and Foreign Minister Netanyahu. Elections for party leader - the all-but-certain next Prime Minister - will be held between Sharon, Netanyahu and Moshe Feiglin on Nov. 28.
Netanyahu and Sharon put on a good external show of unity, but their speeches included mutual jabs at one another. The Foreign Minister reminded the audience, 60% of which were first-time members, that Sharon was a senior minister in his government, and now he is a senior minister in Sharon's government, "and the wheel continues to turn round and round, and this is perfectly fine." Netanyahu promised to expel Arafat as his first act as Prime Minister, said that peace with the Arabs of Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza) would yield them autonomy, but never a sovereign state - and then turned to the economy. He said that the proper approach is not to raise taxes but to lower them, and to increase jobs and growth.
Prime Minister Sharon followed Netanyahu and said, "Security is not built on slogans... Security will be attained only by our determination to stand and act resolutely and with forethought... We are acting in a professional and correct manner, without feelings of revenge, which allows us to continue fighting terrorism without external pressures." Sharon's previous statements about his 'willingness to pay a heavy price for peace' and the inevitability of a PLO state in Yesha were notably absent. He again stressed the importance of a national unity government after the elections. Media sources reported that the applause for Sharon was greater than that for Netanyahu - a possible indication of the results of the upcoming internal election.
Netanyahu and Sharon put on a good external show of unity, but their speeches included mutual jabs at one another. The Foreign Minister reminded the audience, 60% of which were first-time members, that Sharon was a senior minister in his government, and now he is a senior minister in Sharon's government, "and the wheel continues to turn round and round, and this is perfectly fine." Netanyahu promised to expel Arafat as his first act as Prime Minister, said that peace with the Arabs of Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza) would yield them autonomy, but never a sovereign state - and then turned to the economy. He said that the proper approach is not to raise taxes but to lower them, and to increase jobs and growth.
Prime Minister Sharon followed Netanyahu and said, "Security is not built on slogans... Security will be attained only by our determination to stand and act resolutely and with forethought... We are acting in a professional and correct manner, without feelings of revenge, which allows us to continue fighting terrorism without external pressures." Sharon's previous statements about his 'willingness to pay a heavy price for peace' and the inevitability of a PLO state in Yesha were notably absent. He again stressed the importance of a national unity government after the elections. Media sources reported that the applause for Sharon was greater than that for Netanyahu - a possible indication of the results of the upcoming internal election.