Prime Minister Sharon and Opposition Leader Shimon Peres meeting this morning in the Prime Minister's home for their first official unity-government talks. Speculation is predictably rife as to what understandings the two concluded, and what the talks will do to both their parties. It was reported afterwards that the talk dealt largely with how to head off opposition from within both their parties.
It is known that both Sharon and Peres are anxious for Labor to join the government. At issue, however, is the price: How many ministerial portfolios Labor will receive, which ones, what will be the pace of the disengagement/expulsion plan - and how strongly opponents in both parties will object.
The coalition government must receive the support of at least 61 MKs in order to be voted into existence. The Likud (40), Shinui (14) and Labor (21) together have 75 MKs - but many of these do not favor a unity government. Within the Likud, at least 11 MKs are against, as are four Labor MKs - leaving the potential government with only 60 votes.
The Likud opponents include Deputy Minister Michael Ratzon, David Levy, Yuli Edelstein, Gilad Erdan, Naomi Blumental, Ehud Yatom, and Ayoub Kara. MK Michael Eitan says that he agrees to include Labor on condition that a hareidi party also joins: "We are not a religious party, but we are also not an anti-religious party," he said. MK Yuval Shteinitz, who heads the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee which Labor would like to receive, is also showing strong signs of opposition to "sharing" with Labor.
In addition, four Likud ministers also object: Binyamin Netanyahu, Uzi Landau, Limor Livnat and Silvan Shalom. Foreign Minister Shalom's objections are particularly acute, as Labor is expected to demand the Foreign Ministry for itself. Agricultural Minister Yisrael Katz is also apparently threatened, and is expected to join the ranks of the opponents to a unity government.
Within Labor, Yuli Tamir, Eitan Cabel, Colette Avital and Amir Peretz have begun to wage a vocal and active campaign against Labor's joining the government. Peretz - head of the Histadrut Labor Union - is in total opposition to Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's economic policies. The opponents also fear that Labor will become a "fifth wheel," that it will be drowned by the much larger Likud party, and that Labor will lose its power base. "In the past few weeks since Labor resumed filing no-confidence motions and talking against the government in social issues," Peretz said today, "we feel new vitality and more public support."
Shimon Peres, visiting Afula yesterday, said, "Even if it is best for the party to remain in the opposition, the good of the nation requires the implementation of the disengagement plan, which does not have a majority without us." The Labor MKs will convene this afternoon to discuss the matter.
The Likud opponents fear the opposite: "The Likud ministers will become irrelevant in a left-secular Labor-Shinui-Likud government," said MK David Levy last night.
Despite the opposition, negotiating teams have apparently been appointed for both parties. Sharon's top aide Uri Shani will head the Likud's team, and Peres and MK Chaim Ramon will speak on behalf of Labor.
Despite the unity talk, Labor will propose a motion of no-confidence in the government this afternoon - one of three to be voted on today.
It is known that both Sharon and Peres are anxious for Labor to join the government. At issue, however, is the price: How many ministerial portfolios Labor will receive, which ones, what will be the pace of the disengagement/expulsion plan - and how strongly opponents in both parties will object.
The coalition government must receive the support of at least 61 MKs in order to be voted into existence. The Likud (40), Shinui (14) and Labor (21) together have 75 MKs - but many of these do not favor a unity government. Within the Likud, at least 11 MKs are against, as are four Labor MKs - leaving the potential government with only 60 votes.
The Likud opponents include Deputy Minister Michael Ratzon, David Levy, Yuli Edelstein, Gilad Erdan, Naomi Blumental, Ehud Yatom, and Ayoub Kara. MK Michael Eitan says that he agrees to include Labor on condition that a hareidi party also joins: "We are not a religious party, but we are also not an anti-religious party," he said. MK Yuval Shteinitz, who heads the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee which Labor would like to receive, is also showing strong signs of opposition to "sharing" with Labor.
In addition, four Likud ministers also object: Binyamin Netanyahu, Uzi Landau, Limor Livnat and Silvan Shalom. Foreign Minister Shalom's objections are particularly acute, as Labor is expected to demand the Foreign Ministry for itself. Agricultural Minister Yisrael Katz is also apparently threatened, and is expected to join the ranks of the opponents to a unity government.
Within Labor, Yuli Tamir, Eitan Cabel, Colette Avital and Amir Peretz have begun to wage a vocal and active campaign against Labor's joining the government. Peretz - head of the Histadrut Labor Union - is in total opposition to Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's economic policies. The opponents also fear that Labor will become a "fifth wheel," that it will be drowned by the much larger Likud party, and that Labor will lose its power base. "In the past few weeks since Labor resumed filing no-confidence motions and talking against the government in social issues," Peretz said today, "we feel new vitality and more public support."
Shimon Peres, visiting Afula yesterday, said, "Even if it is best for the party to remain in the opposition, the good of the nation requires the implementation of the disengagement plan, which does not have a majority without us." The Labor MKs will convene this afternoon to discuss the matter.
The Likud opponents fear the opposite: "The Likud ministers will become irrelevant in a left-secular Labor-Shinui-Likud government," said MK David Levy last night.
Despite the opposition, negotiating teams have apparently been appointed for both parties. Sharon's top aide Uri Shani will head the Likud's team, and Peres and MK Chaim Ramon will speak on behalf of Labor.
Despite the unity talk, Labor will propose a motion of no-confidence in the government this afternoon - one of three to be voted on today.