Amidst reports of voter fraud and foul play, some 62% of the Central Committee voters favored forming a government with the Labor Party. The defeat of the proposal would likely have led to new elections within 3-4 months.
Prime Minister Sharon phoned Labor Party Chairman Shimon Peres this morning, and invited him to commence coalition negotiations. Such talks have been ongoing in an on-again, off-again fashion for many months, and this is the first time that they are official.
MK Omri Sharon said he was glad the Central Committee "voted correctly," and said negotiations would begin immediately to bring Labor, Shas and United Torah Judaism into the government. Shas chairman Eli Yishai, however, has nixed the possibility of his party joining the Sharon government. Shas opposes the disengagement plan, and both Labor and Sharon have made support for the plan a pre-requisite for joining the coalition.
The government currently enjoys the support of only one-third of the Knesset – the Likud Knesset faction alone.
As is well-known, the inclusion of Labor in the government is almost certain to guarantee the passage of Sharon's disengagement plan. According to this program, Israel will withdraw its forces from Gaza and parts of the northern Shomron, but not before expelling the 8,500 residents of 25 Jewish communities in these areas, destroying their homes, and abandoning the land to the Arabs.
The plan's opponents within the Likud therefore proposed their own resolution to be voted on yesterday. Their resolution stated that negotiations should begin only with political parties that side with the Likud's original platform in the last election – namely, opposition to the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza proposed then by the Labor Party. A Likud-National Union-UTJ-NRP-Shas coalition would number at least 68 MKs.
The Likud Court, however, rejected their request, and only Sharon's resolution was voted upon. The Court also ruled that although democratic procedure generally necessitates debate before votes, in this case it was not necessary.
Likud MK Uzi Landau, head of the opponents' camp, responded with anger to the court ruling: "This is an unfair grab by the Sharon camp… We are not the 'rebels,' as we are being called; there's only one rebel" – a clear reference to Ariel Sharon himself. Landau said that this was "just another of the non-democratic steps that the Likud has been taking over the past several years... Prime Minister Sharon threatens to fire the ministers who don't agree with him, and therefore they all line up behind him." Sharon fired Landau from the Cabinet several weeks ago because of his role against the disengagement.
Sharon and his allies – mainly his son MK Omri Sharon, Ministers Sha'ul Mofaz and Ehud Olmert, and others – knew that their success in the vote depended on a high voter turnout, to offset the strength of the party's Manhigut Yehudit faction. The turnout was in fact high – 77% - and Sharon won the vote.
The Labor Party is scheduled to convene on Saturday night to approve the invitation to begin coalition talks. Talks with the religious parties are to begin on Sunday.
It is not yet clear whether a stable government will result, however. The Labor faction is divided as to whether to enter, and Shas does not share the same political and socio-economic goals as the Likud and Labor. Ramle Mayor Yoel Lavi of the Likud told Arutz-7 that he still believes new elections are inevitable: "Labor is not a homogeneous party, and will not be able to guarantee us a stable coalition for more than a few months. Shas has no desire to enter the government; they smell the upcoming elections and are anxious to increase their electoral strength. In addition, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef is not feeling very sympathetic towards Sharon these days."
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Prime Minister Sharon phoned Labor Party Chairman Shimon Peres this morning, and invited him to commence coalition negotiations. Such talks have been ongoing in an on-again, off-again fashion for many months, and this is the first time that they are official.
MK Omri Sharon said he was glad the Central Committee "voted correctly," and said negotiations would begin immediately to bring Labor, Shas and United Torah Judaism into the government. Shas chairman Eli Yishai, however, has nixed the possibility of his party joining the Sharon government. Shas opposes the disengagement plan, and both Labor and Sharon have made support for the plan a pre-requisite for joining the coalition.
The government currently enjoys the support of only one-third of the Knesset – the Likud Knesset faction alone.
As is well-known, the inclusion of Labor in the government is almost certain to guarantee the passage of Sharon's disengagement plan. According to this program, Israel will withdraw its forces from Gaza and parts of the northern Shomron, but not before expelling the 8,500 residents of 25 Jewish communities in these areas, destroying their homes, and abandoning the land to the Arabs.
The plan's opponents within the Likud therefore proposed their own resolution to be voted on yesterday. Their resolution stated that negotiations should begin only with political parties that side with the Likud's original platform in the last election – namely, opposition to the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza proposed then by the Labor Party. A Likud-National Union-UTJ-NRP-Shas coalition would number at least 68 MKs.
The Likud Court, however, rejected their request, and only Sharon's resolution was voted upon. The Court also ruled that although democratic procedure generally necessitates debate before votes, in this case it was not necessary.
Likud MK Uzi Landau, head of the opponents' camp, responded with anger to the court ruling: "This is an unfair grab by the Sharon camp… We are not the 'rebels,' as we are being called; there's only one rebel" – a clear reference to Ariel Sharon himself. Landau said that this was "just another of the non-democratic steps that the Likud has been taking over the past several years... Prime Minister Sharon threatens to fire the ministers who don't agree with him, and therefore they all line up behind him." Sharon fired Landau from the Cabinet several weeks ago because of his role against the disengagement.
Sharon and his allies – mainly his son MK Omri Sharon, Ministers Sha'ul Mofaz and Ehud Olmert, and others – knew that their success in the vote depended on a high voter turnout, to offset the strength of the party's Manhigut Yehudit faction. The turnout was in fact high – 77% - and Sharon won the vote.
The Labor Party is scheduled to convene on Saturday night to approve the invitation to begin coalition talks. Talks with the religious parties are to begin on Sunday.
It is not yet clear whether a stable government will result, however. The Labor faction is divided as to whether to enter, and Shas does not share the same political and socio-economic goals as the Likud and Labor. Ramle Mayor Yoel Lavi of the Likud told Arutz-7 that he still believes new elections are inevitable: "Labor is not a homogeneous party, and will not be able to guarantee us a stable coalition for more than a few months. Shas has no desire to enter the government; they smell the upcoming elections and are anxious to increase their electoral strength. In addition, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef is not feeling very sympathetic towards Sharon these days."
Click here for our free Daily News Report from Israel