Prime Minister Ariel Sharon arrived at the jubilant Likud Party headquarters shortly before 1:00 AM this morning, to the cheers of hundreds of Likud supporters. Before he spoke, the Likud's new Knesset line-up was introduced, including some 12 totally new names - about 1/3 of the party list.
Sharon, flanked by Ministers Binyamin Netanyahu and Silvan Shalom, said in his speech, said, "We can be happy, but there is no room for celebrations: Terrorism has not ended, Iraqi threat over our heads, an economic and social crisis is still threatening our economy. This is a time not for celebration, but a time for reckoning and the unification of all our forces in order to bring true victory - victory over terrorism and the beginning of diplomatic process, and victory over unemployment and the growth of our economy."
Sharon said in the past three months, ever since "we were dragged into unnecessary elections," he has presented a diplomatic plan "that is very similar to that of US President Bush. The Likud party voted for it when I was chosen to lead the party, and the general public also voted for it today. We must all now carry out the public's decision - this is how democracy works. Narrow political considerations, and things said in the heat of the campaign [such as Mitzna's declaration that he would not join Sharon's unity government - ed. note], must not be allowed to stand in the way. [Sharp things] are said in the course of elections, that's how it works in campaigns; I'm used to it. We have to let these things go. I forgive all those who tried to besmirch me - because that which unites us is greater than that which divides. I say to all parties: The differences between us are dwarfed by the hatred against us and against anything Jewish, and by [the other threats]... Israel needs unity and stability, fast, before the crisis deepens even more."
Sharon quoted the late Yitzchak Rabin as calling for unity: "We are all Jews, we are all brothers..." Sharon said, "I hereby declare that after the President appoints me to form the government, I will turn to all the Zionist parties in order to form the broadest possible government. [At this point there was some applause, but also some calls against unity, for Netanyahu, and against Mitzna] That is the public's will. The guidelines will be the same as in the outgoing government, which [most] parties already agreed to. "
He spoke about allocating money to economic growth and aliyah, and then quoted from the Torah portion of last week, in which the Israelites are written about in the singular, not the plural, when standing at the foot of Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah: "Our Sages say that they stood there as one man, with one heart. We must take after our forefathers. The eyes of the nation are upon us, and the eyes of the world are upon us, to see if Israel can work together to achieve its goals of peace and economic growth. Then, and only then, will come the time of the celebrations. Thank you."
Sharon, flanked by Ministers Binyamin Netanyahu and Silvan Shalom, said in his speech, said, "We can be happy, but there is no room for celebrations: Terrorism has not ended, Iraqi threat over our heads, an economic and social crisis is still threatening our economy. This is a time not for celebration, but a time for reckoning and the unification of all our forces in order to bring true victory - victory over terrorism and the beginning of diplomatic process, and victory over unemployment and the growth of our economy."
Sharon said in the past three months, ever since "we were dragged into unnecessary elections," he has presented a diplomatic plan "that is very similar to that of US President Bush. The Likud party voted for it when I was chosen to lead the party, and the general public also voted for it today. We must all now carry out the public's decision - this is how democracy works. Narrow political considerations, and things said in the heat of the campaign [such as Mitzna's declaration that he would not join Sharon's unity government - ed. note], must not be allowed to stand in the way. [Sharp things] are said in the course of elections, that's how it works in campaigns; I'm used to it. We have to let these things go. I forgive all those who tried to besmirch me - because that which unites us is greater than that which divides. I say to all parties: The differences between us are dwarfed by the hatred against us and against anything Jewish, and by [the other threats]... Israel needs unity and stability, fast, before the crisis deepens even more."
Sharon quoted the late Yitzchak Rabin as calling for unity: "We are all Jews, we are all brothers..." Sharon said, "I hereby declare that after the President appoints me to form the government, I will turn to all the Zionist parties in order to form the broadest possible government. [At this point there was some applause, but also some calls against unity, for Netanyahu, and against Mitzna] That is the public's will. The guidelines will be the same as in the outgoing government, which [most] parties already agreed to. "
He spoke about allocating money to economic growth and aliyah, and then quoted from the Torah portion of last week, in which the Israelites are written about in the singular, not the plural, when standing at the foot of Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah: "Our Sages say that they stood there as one man, with one heart. We must take after our forefathers. The eyes of the nation are upon us, and the eyes of the world are upon us, to see if Israel can work together to achieve its goals of peace and economic growth. Then, and only then, will come the time of the celebrations. Thank you."