Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is not expected to announce his future political plans at today's meeting, despite the rumors of the past weeks that he might want to quit the Likud and start his own party.
It appears, however, that given the new situation caused by Amir Peretz's victory in Labor, Sharon is leaning towards remaining in the Likud. A poll publicized this morning shows that he has a strong lead over his main rival, Binyamin Netanyahu, in the race for party leadership. Questioned how they would vote in a four-way race, the 611 respondents - all members of the Likud Central Committee - gave Sharon 47%, Netanyahu - 23%, Uzi Landau - 9%, and Moshe Feiglin of Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) - 6%.
Questioned about a two-way race, the respondents gave Sharon an easy victory over Netanyahu, 51-32.
The science of polling was shown to be an inexact one at best in last week's Labor Party election, when one nationally-publicized survey that was broadcast for hours after the polls closed showed Peres winning by 14% - when in fact he lost to Peretz by 2.4%. Despite this, the publication of the Likud poll has caused a stir in the Likud, and may even hasten a deal to call off the primaries altogether. The deal could include guaranteeing the first two spots for Sharon and Netanyahu, respectively, and possibly the third slot for Uzi Landau.
March 7th is the date proposed by the opposition parties for new elections. Netanyahu said at today's meeting that the Likud should strive to delay the election date, in order to enable the excitement over Peretz to die down.
Sharon is reported to be still unsure as to his personal intentions, and plans to rely on additional "targeted" polls of various sectors in the Likud before making his final decision.
Sharon-ally Finance Minister Ehud Olmert says he knows nothing of Sharon's plans to leave the Likud, implying that Sharon has no reason to do so. "Arik Sharon is in the Likud," Olmert said today, "and he has no other place. The entire issue was blown up by the media" - though Sharon himself never denied the reports. A long-time rival of Netanyahu, Olmert said he opposes guaranteeing Netanyahu a place in the coming primaries.
One problem that Sharon is likely to face if he remains in the Likud is that the party's Knesset faction for the coming election might be more nationalist than he would like. The anti-disengagement "rebels" camp has caused him much grief in the past year, and the Central Committee is likely to support right-wing candidates in the coming primaries.
Anti-expulsion leader and candidate for party leader Uzi Landau is not willing to give Sharon any breaks. "As long as he refuses to say clearly whether he wants to even remain in the Likud," Landau has said repeatedly over the past days, "how can we even consider working with him?"
At the meeting, Landau was even sharper: "As of now, there are three declared candidates for party leader - myself, Binyamin Netanyahu, and Moshe Feiglin. You, Mr. Prime Minister, have not even announced your candidacy. When will you make it clear whether you are in the running or not?"
Anti-disengagement MK Gilad Erdan, on the other hand, took a more moderate stance. "Now that Peretz has won in Labor," he told Army Radio, "and given that the disengagement has already been implemented, I certainly think that there is no need to look for disputes. We [Llikud MKs] have much more in common with each other, even with all the anger and bitterness [over the expulsion], than with Labor, and we have to rise up above our disagreements, and unite against Labor. I'm not saying that Sharon is my candidate, but we should not give him the excuse to leave and start a new party... But he must come forward and give us a clue as to his future plans."
Like Olmert, Erdan said he does not support an arrangement guaranteeing slots for Netanyahu and Landau.
Another Gush Katif supporter, MK Michael Ratzon, said earlier today that the time had arrived for unifying the ranks within the Likud.
Dark horse candidate Feiglin, for his part, continues to say that the religious-nationalist camp must not seek out small, sectarian parties, but should rather try to increase its influence within the country's largest party, the Likud. Even if the religious/right-wing parties receive another ten Knesset seats in the next election, he told Arutz-7's IsraelNationalRadio, "what difference will it make? ... What we really saw in the last three years was that the right-wing parties and the NRP are completely irrelevant. Sharon, with the Likud, can go with Shinui, or he can go with Labor, and can do whatever he wants. The real battle is in the Likud."
It appears, however, that given the new situation caused by Amir Peretz's victory in Labor, Sharon is leaning towards remaining in the Likud. A poll publicized this morning shows that he has a strong lead over his main rival, Binyamin Netanyahu, in the race for party leadership. Questioned how they would vote in a four-way race, the 611 respondents - all members of the Likud Central Committee - gave Sharon 47%, Netanyahu - 23%, Uzi Landau - 9%, and Moshe Feiglin of Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) - 6%.
Questioned about a two-way race, the respondents gave Sharon an easy victory over Netanyahu, 51-32.
The science of polling was shown to be an inexact one at best in last week's Labor Party election, when one nationally-publicized survey that was broadcast for hours after the polls closed showed Peres winning by 14% - when in fact he lost to Peretz by 2.4%. Despite this, the publication of the Likud poll has caused a stir in the Likud, and may even hasten a deal to call off the primaries altogether. The deal could include guaranteeing the first two spots for Sharon and Netanyahu, respectively, and possibly the third slot for Uzi Landau.
March 7th is the date proposed by the opposition parties for new elections. Netanyahu said at today's meeting that the Likud should strive to delay the election date, in order to enable the excitement over Peretz to die down.
Sharon is reported to be still unsure as to his personal intentions, and plans to rely on additional "targeted" polls of various sectors in the Likud before making his final decision.
Sharon-ally Finance Minister Ehud Olmert says he knows nothing of Sharon's plans to leave the Likud, implying that Sharon has no reason to do so. "Arik Sharon is in the Likud," Olmert said today, "and he has no other place. The entire issue was blown up by the media" - though Sharon himself never denied the reports. A long-time rival of Netanyahu, Olmert said he opposes guaranteeing Netanyahu a place in the coming primaries.
One problem that Sharon is likely to face if he remains in the Likud is that the party's Knesset faction for the coming election might be more nationalist than he would like. The anti-disengagement "rebels" camp has caused him much grief in the past year, and the Central Committee is likely to support right-wing candidates in the coming primaries.
Anti-expulsion leader and candidate for party leader Uzi Landau is not willing to give Sharon any breaks. "As long as he refuses to say clearly whether he wants to even remain in the Likud," Landau has said repeatedly over the past days, "how can we even consider working with him?"
At the meeting, Landau was even sharper: "As of now, there are three declared candidates for party leader - myself, Binyamin Netanyahu, and Moshe Feiglin. You, Mr. Prime Minister, have not even announced your candidacy. When will you make it clear whether you are in the running or not?"
Anti-disengagement MK Gilad Erdan, on the other hand, took a more moderate stance. "Now that Peretz has won in Labor," he told Army Radio, "and given that the disengagement has already been implemented, I certainly think that there is no need to look for disputes. We [Llikud MKs] have much more in common with each other, even with all the anger and bitterness [over the expulsion], than with Labor, and we have to rise up above our disagreements, and unite against Labor. I'm not saying that Sharon is my candidate, but we should not give him the excuse to leave and start a new party... But he must come forward and give us a clue as to his future plans."
Like Olmert, Erdan said he does not support an arrangement guaranteeing slots for Netanyahu and Landau.
Another Gush Katif supporter, MK Michael Ratzon, said earlier today that the time had arrived for unifying the ranks within the Likud.
Dark horse candidate Feiglin, for his part, continues to say that the religious-nationalist camp must not seek out small, sectarian parties, but should rather try to increase its influence within the country's largest party, the Likud. Even if the religious/right-wing parties receive another ten Knesset seats in the next election, he told Arutz-7's IsraelNationalRadio, "what difference will it make? ... What we really saw in the last three years was that the right-wing parties and the NRP are completely irrelevant. Sharon, with the Likud, can go with Shinui, or he can go with Labor, and can do whatever he wants. The real battle is in the Likud."