Is the Sharon government undergoing its first coalition crisis? The Prime Minister says no, but Labor party Knesset faction head Effie Oshaya says it most certainly is. Arutz-7\'s Knesset correspondent Haggai Seri explains:
\"Many Labor party MKs violated coalition discipline today, voting with the opposition for a bill that would increase benefits to reserves soldiers. Prime Minister Sharon made a personal plea for Labor to vote as a bloc against the bill, in light of the considerable benefits that the government has already approved for the reservists, but in vain: Many Labor MKs either voted in favor of the bill or were not present. Labor\'s Oshaya explained that Labor Knesset Members will continue to vote \"according to their conscience\" for as long as the Yesha outposts are not removed, and while the government supports legislation against the Sabbath operation of shopping malls in kibbutzim.\"
Maariv newspaper\'s political commentator Shalom Yerushalmi was asked today if Peres\' threat to resign - thereby presumably taking Labor with him out of the coalition - was genuine? Yerushalmi\'s response:
\"Not at all, and in fact there has been pretty good cooperation between the two [Sharon and Peres] over the months, especially considering the genuine differences between them. But one thing that really upsets Peres is the matter of the settlements and the new outposts, because he meets with the international leaders who complain about the settlements, and then he comes back and finds 15 new outposts… I don\'t think there will be any real coalition crisis in the near future, for two reasons: one is that Sharon has not yet had to make a real choice on the diplomatic or military fronts, and secondly, because the Knesset is about to begin its summer recess.\" In addition, Arutz-7\'s Haggai Seri notes that Labor MKs know that their party would suffer a major defeat if Knesset elections were held now or soon, \"but they could still serve their political interests - and work against Sharon\'s - by merely joining the opposition if he takes more militant positions.\"
Voice of Israel Radio reported on its 4 PM news broadcast that the coalition crisis had ended because Prime Minister Sharon had agreed to remove the new Yesha outposts, as well as freeze the problematic religious legislation. The 5 PM report was that the coalition crisis had not ended, with no elaboration. What actually happened was that MK Effie Oshaya said that Sharon had told him that an agreement had been reached with the Yesha Council on the evacuation of the outposts as soon as today. Yesha Council spokesman Yehoshua Mor-Yosef, who was then contacted by Arutz-7\'s Yosef Zalmanson, categorically denied that any such agreement had been reached.
One of the outposts, the Doron Outpost near Einav in the Shomron, has had a particularly hard time of it today. Early this morning it was reported that it would be handed over to the army within a day or two, and that its request to continue operating until the end of the 30-day mourning period for Doron Zisserman had been turned down. (Zisserman, father of three, was murdered by Arabs outside Einav about two weeks ago.) Later in the day, permission was given to remain there \"for the time being\" until a final decision could be reached. Early this evening, another change was announced, and residents were told to prepare for immediate evacuation.
Residents of Judea and Samaria have established some 15 such positions in recent weeks and months throughout Yesha, largely for the purpose of ensuring a security presence in areas in which Jews have been murdered.
\"Many Labor party MKs violated coalition discipline today, voting with the opposition for a bill that would increase benefits to reserves soldiers. Prime Minister Sharon made a personal plea for Labor to vote as a bloc against the bill, in light of the considerable benefits that the government has already approved for the reservists, but in vain: Many Labor MKs either voted in favor of the bill or were not present. Labor\'s Oshaya explained that Labor Knesset Members will continue to vote \"according to their conscience\" for as long as the Yesha outposts are not removed, and while the government supports legislation against the Sabbath operation of shopping malls in kibbutzim.\"
Maariv newspaper\'s political commentator Shalom Yerushalmi was asked today if Peres\' threat to resign - thereby presumably taking Labor with him out of the coalition - was genuine? Yerushalmi\'s response:
\"Not at all, and in fact there has been pretty good cooperation between the two [Sharon and Peres] over the months, especially considering the genuine differences between them. But one thing that really upsets Peres is the matter of the settlements and the new outposts, because he meets with the international leaders who complain about the settlements, and then he comes back and finds 15 new outposts… I don\'t think there will be any real coalition crisis in the near future, for two reasons: one is that Sharon has not yet had to make a real choice on the diplomatic or military fronts, and secondly, because the Knesset is about to begin its summer recess.\" In addition, Arutz-7\'s Haggai Seri notes that Labor MKs know that their party would suffer a major defeat if Knesset elections were held now or soon, \"but they could still serve their political interests - and work against Sharon\'s - by merely joining the opposition if he takes more militant positions.\"
Voice of Israel Radio reported on its 4 PM news broadcast that the coalition crisis had ended because Prime Minister Sharon had agreed to remove the new Yesha outposts, as well as freeze the problematic religious legislation. The 5 PM report was that the coalition crisis had not ended, with no elaboration. What actually happened was that MK Effie Oshaya said that Sharon had told him that an agreement had been reached with the Yesha Council on the evacuation of the outposts as soon as today. Yesha Council spokesman Yehoshua Mor-Yosef, who was then contacted by Arutz-7\'s Yosef Zalmanson, categorically denied that any such agreement had been reached.
One of the outposts, the Doron Outpost near Einav in the Shomron, has had a particularly hard time of it today. Early this morning it was reported that it would be handed over to the army within a day or two, and that its request to continue operating until the end of the 30-day mourning period for Doron Zisserman had been turned down. (Zisserman, father of three, was murdered by Arabs outside Einav about two weeks ago.) Later in the day, permission was given to remain there \"for the time being\" until a final decision could be reached. Early this evening, another change was announced, and residents were told to prepare for immediate evacuation.
Residents of Judea and Samaria have established some 15 such positions in recent weeks and months throughout Yesha, largely for the purpose of ensuring a security presence in areas in which Jews have been murdered.