President Moshe Katzav will meet with representatives of some of the largest political parties tomorrow, discussing with them their views of prospects for the new government. Each party is to recommend to Katzav the Knesset Member it feels is the most worthy of forming the country's next government. Most of them, of course, will choose Ariel Sharon.
Israel's right-wing parties - National Union (7 seats), National Religious Party (6), and Yisrael B'Aliyah (2) - are talking about forming a united front for the coalition negotiations. Their goal is to ensure that the new government's guidelines include no mention of a Palestinian state. If the front is formed, each of the parties will commit not to join the coalition if the above condition is not met.
Former NRP head Rabbi Yitzchak Levy said that the no-PLO-state condition is a "red line" as far as his party is concerned, and National Union MKs have said the same.
The hareidi parties - United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and Shas - are unwilling as of now to join this front. Efforts are being made, however, to find MKs and ministers within the Likud who similarly object to a PLO state.
The NRP's Nissan Slomiansky told Arutz-7 this morning, "We certainly very very much want them [Shas, UTJ, and the National Union] to be in the coalition, because they help us very much with the religious and national aspects, respectively... But I wouldn't want to make any commitments as to how we will act in any given circumstances - because no matter what, we will maintain our own principles, and this will be a pre-condition for our joining the coalition."
MK Yuri Stern (National Union) also spoke with Arutz-7 today:
"We have unfortunately entered a nightmare period, because for the first time ever, the right-wing won a resounding victory - yet it doesn't know how to rule. When the left is in power, the right-wing knows who it is fighting against; but when the supposed right-wing is in power, the people are totally mixed-up. They hear Prime Minister Ariel Sharon himself speak in favor of a Palestinian state, so they think to themselves that maybe it's not such a bad idea..."
Stern said that it is crucial for an "ideological right-wing front" to be established:
"There are some within the Likud who agree with us that a PLO state is unacceptable, but the Likud will probably be very disciplined under Sharon - unless there is a catalyst, such as us, alongside them to strengthen them and bring the important issues to public attention. It won't work if we're not united as one..."
MK Stern further said that Sharon has nothing personal against National Union leader Avigdor Lieberman: "In fact, there is much more bad blood between Sharon and Mitzna [ever since the Peace for Galilee War in 1982], yet Sharon very much wants Mitzna to join his government." He explained, however, that Sharon does not want "someone like Lieberman in his government who will not allow him to whitewash the real issues."
Israel's right-wing parties - National Union (7 seats), National Religious Party (6), and Yisrael B'Aliyah (2) - are talking about forming a united front for the coalition negotiations. Their goal is to ensure that the new government's guidelines include no mention of a Palestinian state. If the front is formed, each of the parties will commit not to join the coalition if the above condition is not met.
Former NRP head Rabbi Yitzchak Levy said that the no-PLO-state condition is a "red line" as far as his party is concerned, and National Union MKs have said the same.
The hareidi parties - United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and Shas - are unwilling as of now to join this front. Efforts are being made, however, to find MKs and ministers within the Likud who similarly object to a PLO state.
The NRP's Nissan Slomiansky told Arutz-7 this morning, "We certainly very very much want them [Shas, UTJ, and the National Union] to be in the coalition, because they help us very much with the religious and national aspects, respectively... But I wouldn't want to make any commitments as to how we will act in any given circumstances - because no matter what, we will maintain our own principles, and this will be a pre-condition for our joining the coalition."
MK Yuri Stern (National Union) also spoke with Arutz-7 today:
"We have unfortunately entered a nightmare period, because for the first time ever, the right-wing won a resounding victory - yet it doesn't know how to rule. When the left is in power, the right-wing knows who it is fighting against; but when the supposed right-wing is in power, the people are totally mixed-up. They hear Prime Minister Ariel Sharon himself speak in favor of a Palestinian state, so they think to themselves that maybe it's not such a bad idea..."
Stern said that it is crucial for an "ideological right-wing front" to be established:
"There are some within the Likud who agree with us that a PLO state is unacceptable, but the Likud will probably be very disciplined under Sharon - unless there is a catalyst, such as us, alongside them to strengthen them and bring the important issues to public attention. It won't work if we're not united as one..."
MK Stern further said that Sharon has nothing personal against National Union leader Avigdor Lieberman: "In fact, there is much more bad blood between Sharon and Mitzna [ever since the Peace for Galilee War in 1982], yet Sharon very much wants Mitzna to join his government." He explained, however, that Sharon does not want "someone like Lieberman in his government who will not allow him to whitewash the real issues."