The Labor and Shinui parties now agree: The best government for Israel is a left-center-secular government, comprising Likud, Labor and Shinui.
Labor Party leader MK Shimon Peres and Labor Knesset faction leader Dalia Itzik met in Tel Aviv today with Shinui's leader Justice Minister Tommy Lapid and Interior Minister Avraham Poraz. Shinui is very anxious to ensure that Labor does not enter into a government coalition with the Likud and one or both hareidi parties. This is because Shinui has vowed never to sit in the same government as the latter, and would thus be forced out of the government.
Shinui apparently successfully persuaded Labor to agree to enter into a coalition with only the Likud and Shinui, to the exclusion of the hareidi/religious parties. Asked whether he objects to the presence of the National Religious Party in the government, Lapid said, "The NRP doesn't bother [us]. Until now we have cooperated; they're the ones who have been threatening to quit."
Lapid admitted, however, that economic issues did not arise in today's meeting with the Labor leaders, and would be discussed next time. The economic issues are possibly the main topic of disagreement between the parties; Shinui sides strongly with Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's policies, as opposed to Labor's socialist orientation.
Despite these differences, Peres said after today's meeting that a Likud-Labor-Shinui meeting could be established immediately, and that it would help advance the disengagement plan.
Opposition is strong in the Likud to the inclusion of Labor in the coalition, and certainly to a secular-leftist government with only Labor and Shinui. Lapid said today that he knows that Sharon has a problem with his own party, "but it's not our job to solve his problems." Within Labor, as well, many are against joining a government with the Likud, though their voices appear to be fading. Some Shinui MKs gave some indications late this week that they might be willing to give up their blacklisting of hareidi parties and sit together with United Torah Judaism - though not with Shas.
The Likud will resume coalition negotiations with Shas and UTJ next week.
Labor Party leader MK Shimon Peres and Labor Knesset faction leader Dalia Itzik met in Tel Aviv today with Shinui's leader Justice Minister Tommy Lapid and Interior Minister Avraham Poraz. Shinui is very anxious to ensure that Labor does not enter into a government coalition with the Likud and one or both hareidi parties. This is because Shinui has vowed never to sit in the same government as the latter, and would thus be forced out of the government.
Shinui apparently successfully persuaded Labor to agree to enter into a coalition with only the Likud and Shinui, to the exclusion of the hareidi/religious parties. Asked whether he objects to the presence of the National Religious Party in the government, Lapid said, "The NRP doesn't bother [us]. Until now we have cooperated; they're the ones who have been threatening to quit."
Lapid admitted, however, that economic issues did not arise in today's meeting with the Labor leaders, and would be discussed next time. The economic issues are possibly the main topic of disagreement between the parties; Shinui sides strongly with Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's policies, as opposed to Labor's socialist orientation.
Despite these differences, Peres said after today's meeting that a Likud-Labor-Shinui meeting could be established immediately, and that it would help advance the disengagement plan.
Opposition is strong in the Likud to the inclusion of Labor in the coalition, and certainly to a secular-leftist government with only Labor and Shinui. Lapid said today that he knows that Sharon has a problem with his own party, "but it's not our job to solve his problems." Within Labor, as well, many are against joining a government with the Likud, though their voices appear to be fading. Some Shinui MKs gave some indications late this week that they might be willing to give up their blacklisting of hareidi parties and sit together with United Torah Judaism - though not with Shas.
The Likud will resume coalition negotiations with Shas and UTJ next week.