JERUSALEM/WEST BANK: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON IS PURSUING COALITION PARTNERS WHO COULD SWING HIS GOVERNMENT FAR TO THE RIGHT

Record ID: 640680

  • Title: JERUSALEM/WEST BANK: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON IS PURSUING COALITION PARTNERS WHO COULD SWING HIS GOVERNMENT FAR TO THE RIGHT
  • Date: 3rd November 2002
  • Summary: (U3) RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (NOVEMBER 3, 2002) (REUTERS) SV PALESTINIAN CABINET MINISTER GHASSAN AL-KHATIB WALKING OU OF BUILDING MCU (English) PALESTINIAN CABINET MINISTER GHASSAN AL-KHATIB SAYING: "Without an active role of the international community -- especially the United States -- and forcing this Israeli government to show respect to international law there is no limit to the atrocities that can be expected by a government with the kind of names that has been emerging." (W4) JERUSALEM (NOVEMBER 3, 2002) (REUTERS) SLV GOVERNMENT BUILDING SLV OF NATIONAL UNION PARTY NATIONAL UNION PARTY CHAIRMAN YURI STERN ARRIVING FOR MEETING WITH SHARON (3 SHOTS) SV OF NATIONAL UNION MEMBER BENNY ELON LEAVING THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE SV/MCU (English) NATIONAL UNION MEMBER BENNY ELON SAYING: "We held talks with the National Union Party in a very very peaceful, serious and optimistic atmosphere. We feel that there are many many things that can be basis for cooperation in the enlarged government and there's a lot of space for optimism due to this serious dialogue. The issue of the Oslo agreement was raised by our counterpart, we made it very clear that we are not going to open the guidelines document, that the government is based upon, and any understanding that can be reached will not be in violation of the current coalition agreement." (2 SHOTS) SV OF LIKUD MEMBER TZACHI HANEGBI LEAVING THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE MCU MEDIA MCU (English) LIKUD MEMBER TZACHI HANEGBI SAYING: " We came not with a list of demands but just to discuss issues and policy about the security, about the Palestinian state etcetera, we discussed those issues, we are expecting to get answers and tomorrow we are going to continue this negotiation." SV HANEGBI TALKING TO MEDIA
  • Embargoed: 18th November 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JERUSALEM / RAMALLAH, WEST BANK/ VARIOUS/WORLD 5 FEED 3 NOVEMBER 2002 EDIT 716
  • City:
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6QM0QXDZWX7M1U5FQZYTK52MP
  • Story Text: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is pursuing coalition partners who could swing his government far to the right.
    Having persuaded former military chief Shaul Mofaz to join forces with him as defence minister, Sharon is now courting his political rival and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be his foreign minister and trying to bring the far right-wing National Union party into his coalition It was at a cabinet meeting on Sunday (November 3) morning that Sharon officially announced the appointment of former army chief Shaul Mofaz, kicking off a day of intense political activity as he seeks to re-build a narrowcoaltion.
    Failure to bring in the far right-wing party National Union-Yisrael Beitenu, which favors unlimited Jewish settlement on occupied land, could lead Sharon to resign and call early elections by the end of the week, top political officials said.
    Sharon was to meet Netanyahu on Sunday, two days after offering the former prime minister the foreign ministry post left open by Shimon Peres after the centre-left Labour Party bolted the coalition on Wednesday over settlement funding.
    A confidant of Netanyahu, Sharon's main rival in the ruling rightist Likud party, has said that Netanyahu was not enthused at the prospect of playing second fiddle to Sharon.
    Sharon aides planned to hold coalition talks with leaders of the National Union-Yisrael Beitenu party, whose seven seats in the 120-member parliament could restore the parliamentary majority he lost when Labour quit the government.
    Sharon currently controls 55 seats in the legislature, where the left-wing Meretz party was due to bring a no-confidence vote on Monday that will be his first narrow government's first test of survival since losing he lost his ruling majority.
    Netanyahu this year led a Likud leadership vote against the idea of a fully fledged Palestinian state and has called for the ouster of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
    Sharon has voiced conditional support for the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state and has said he promised U.S. President George W. Bush not to harm Arafat.
    Political commentators said Netanyahu was likely to latch on to Sharon's refusal to change government policy on Israel's economy, reeling from a two-year-old Palestinian uprising for statehood, as the main reason for turning down the cabinet post.
    Zeev Boim, a top Likud official and spokesman for Sharon's narrow coalition, said the prime minister would not permit "foot-dragging" by potential partners out to win more government funds and concessions for their constituents.
    A second official said Sharon would give the coalition negotiations until the end of the week.
    Sharon has told Washington he will stick to government guidelines under which Israel will refrain from building new settlements in the West Bank and Gaza while pursuing peace, a position opposed by National Union-Yisrael Beitenu.
    That line was reiterated by Tzippi Lvini, a minister without portfolio shortly before Sunday's cabinet meeting.
    "It will not affect the Israeli government policy at all.
    Prime Minister Sharon stated a few days ago that there are not going to be changes within the guidelines of the Israeli government. The Likud party represents, I believe, the consensus and vast majority of the Israeli citizens and we believe that we represent the centre of the political map in Israel. There is no need to change the guidelines of the government and we are not going to change them, " she said.
    Sharon filled the defence minister post, vacated by Labour leader Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, on Saturday, appointing former military chief Shaul Mofaz, who retired from the army in July.
    The appointment, which will be brought to parliament for endorsement on Monday, was harshly criticised by opposition lawmakers who said Mofaz had not spent enough time as a civilian to be appointed to a political position.
    Mofaz has advocated expelling Arafat and led the Israeli military campaign to occupy Palestinian cities in response to attacks to Palestinian suicide bombings in Israel.
    At least 1,640 Palestinians and 623 Israelis have been killed since the Palestinian uprising began in September 2000.
    Meanwhile, a leading Palestinian minister urged the international community to reign in the new government, warning that it could sparka bloodbath.
    "Without an active role of the international community -- especially the United States -- and forcing this Israeli government toshow respect to international law there is no limit to the atrocities that can be expected by a government with the kind of names that has been emerging," Ghassan al-Khatib told Reuters Television.
    On Sunday, representatives from Israel's far right-wing party National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu, which favours unlimited Jewish settlement on occupied land, began talks with Sharon.
    "We held talks with the National Union Party in a very very peaceful, serious and optimistic atmosphere. We feel that there are many many things that can be basis for cooperation in the enlarged government and there's a lot of space for optimism due to this serious dialogue. The issue of the Oslo agreement was raised by our counterpart, we made it very clear that we are not going to open the guidelines document, that the government is based upon, and any understanding that can be reached will not be in violation of the current coalition agreement," said National Union Member Benny Elon on leaving the Prime Minister's office.
    " We came not with a list of demands but just to discuss issues and policy about the security, about the Palestinian state etcetera, we discussed those issues, we are expecting to get answers and tomorrow we are going to continue this negotiation," added Likud Member Tzachi Hanegbi.
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