Sources close to Peres have indicated he will announce his decision to join Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Kadima party upon his return from Barcelona Wednesday. While he is not expected to seek a parliamentary seat in the next Knesset, the 82-year-old former Labor party chairman is likely to be promised a senior, custom-tailored post should Sharon end up drafting the next government coalition.
Peres rejected reports while overseas that he had already decided to join Sharon's party, saying that he will make his decision only upon his return home. A formal announcement is expected some time Wednesday night or Thursday.
In statements to the media in recent days, Peres said that he will make his final decision based upon a single parameter: the opportunity to continue contributing to the state. Party affiliation, according to Peres, carries only historical and emotional weight.
Some political observers in Barcelona believe that Peres was attempting to downplay the decision regarding his political future while in Spain so as not to overshadow a soccer game organized by the Peres Center for Peace. The game brought Israeli and Arab players together in one team to play against Barcelona's soccer team, regarded as among the best in the world.
Peres rejected reports while overseas that he had already decided to join Sharon's party, saying that he will make his decision only upon his return home. A formal announcement is expected some time Wednesday night or Thursday.
In statements to the media in recent days, Peres said that he will make his final decision based upon a single parameter: the opportunity to continue contributing to the state. Party affiliation, according to Peres, carries only historical and emotional weight.
Some political observers in Barcelona believe that Peres was attempting to downplay the decision regarding his political future while in Spain so as not to overshadow a soccer game organized by the Peres Center for Peace. The game brought Israeli and Arab players together in one team to play against Barcelona's soccer team, regarded as among the best in the world.