Sharon forms Right-Wing government.

[Shi Huangdi]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2003Feb26.html

By John Ward Anderson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, February 26, 2003; 3:42 PM


JERUSALEM, Feb. 26-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, whose tough approach toward Palestinian violence was strongly backed by Israeli voters in his landslide reelection last month, formed a new government coalition today that leans heavily on nationalist parties that oppose a Palestinian state and favor expanding Jewish settlements.

The political makeup of the coalition, which gives Sharon 68 of the parliament's 120 seats, seemed to dim prospects for any early resumption of peace negotiations with the Palestinians aimed at ending the bloody uprising that has been grinding away here since September 2000 with a loss of about 2,000 Palestinian and 700 Israeli lives.

Sharon had said he wanted a broad-based "national unity" government as Israel confronts the Palestinian uprising and danger raised by a possible U.S. attack on Iraq. But the Labor Party, the second-largest in parliament, spurned Sharon's offer to join the government, leading him to make pacts with three other parties to claim a majority.

"Once Sharon gave up on the Labor party, he gave up on the peace process for the near future," said Gadi Wolsfeld, a political scientist at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. "I think what Sharon learned in the last 20 years is how to talk in a way that pleases the Israeli center and the American administration, yet continue with the same policy," he added, describing the policy as "settle, settle and settle."

Sharon sent a letter to President Moshe Katsav announcing that he had formed a government, which was expected to be sworn in Thursday. In addition to Sharon's own Likud Party, with 40 seats, the coalition embraces the stridently secular Shinui Party, with 15 seats; the pro-settlement National Religious Party, with six seats; and the ultra-nationalist National Union party, with seven seats.

Thirteen of the 68 seats thus belong to a pair of parties that adamantly oppose an independent Palestinian state and are long-time champions of expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, two issues that have fueled the uprising.

Foreign diplomats consider that creating a Palestinian state, stopping Jewish settlement expansion and eventually vacating existing settlements would be elements in any ceasefire and negotiated peace deal. They are part of a U.S.-sponsored peace plan, called the "Road Map," that Sharon has pledged to support, although with many changes. The plan is being pushed by a group known as the Quartet, comprising the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, but has been languishing for months.

"It looks like it's a right wing government, not a government that's willing to seriously tackle issues like settlements and meeting the Palestinians half way," said a diplomat from one of the Quartet members.

Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian Authority's chief negotiator with the Israelis, said, "It's a settler's government. It means we don't have a road map, we don't have a peace process. We will have a lot of settlement expansion and land confiscation and Israeli military activity."

A senior official close to Sharon who asked not to be identified said the new government will be well-suited to tackle what he described as Israel's "most pressing issue, the economy." But at the same time, he said, "There are great hopes for the political process" to end the conflict with the Palestinians.

In forging a new coalition, Sharon not only had to negotiate with other parties and their leaders over the government's guidelines, but also over cabinet positions. Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who challenged Sharon for leadership of the Likud in an occasionally nasty primary campaign last year, will be replaced by the current finance minister, Silvan Shalom.

Netanyahu previously had said that he would not serve in any other cabinet post, but he reportedly was considering Sharon's offer that he become finance minister.

© 2003 The Washington Post Company

Looks like Sharon has opted for a rightists coalition, which means no peace process for awhile probably. Any idea on why Shinui and the National Religious Party are in the same government? And is Shinui reallly that rightist on security issues? Also, any opinion on how stable this government will be?

[Sirotnikov]

First of all, this is among the most biased, one sided and plain stereotyped articles I've seen coming from a major newspaper in a long time.


Obviously you can have no idea what Shinui, NRP, NU and Likkud are doing together, if all you get are stereotypical explanations.

I suggest you read some haaretz.com. Browse their archives. I think the last week is free.


To make a long story short:

It wasn't Sharon who slammed the door in Mitzna's (Chairman of Labor Party) face - as the article would have us believe - but quite the opposite.

Sharon has tried every trick in the book, and some fresh new ones, to get the Labor Party to join - and they decided not to - since it can harm their re-election possibility.


A government consisting of only Likkud Shinui and NRP would be very stable and would possibly last 3-4 years.

Adding NU wasn't the smartest move in the long term, since in about a year's time, the peace-process will move forward, and then NU will leave the government with a bang, as soon as Israel begins restraining itself more.

Shinui is a centrist-right wing party. It's very liberal. capitalistic. it wants to seporate state from religion and strengthen the civil institute in israel. they got my vote.
They support the peace process as a long term goal, but refuse to deal with terrorists or Arafat (terrorist), and support tough measures against palestinians.

National Unity, support settlements and resist palestinian statehood on mostly practical and strategical causes - they view a palestinain state as an existential threat, and think that Israel should avoid giving up territory it can use.
They also support strengthening the political and legal system , though possibly in other directions (more right wing).
It's iirc also Capitalist.

The National Unity Party - is a rightist party. It's religious - spiritual but not ultra-orthodox. Many of it's voters are from the settlements. The party supports settlments on religious and strategic grounds, and resist a Palestinian state on the same (relgious + strategic grounds).
They see their goal to unite Israelis - to avoid and heal the religious vs. secular conflict. They agree that the ultra-orthodox parties have helped deepen the conflict by using it to their advantage - to get more seats. They are zionist and are pro-state-of-law (rather than religious state as an eventual goal, like the ultra-orthodox parties).

The likkud party, or mostly Sharon's camp, is basically strategically and ideologically against palestinian state and pro-settlements. This camp however realised that the state and settlements disbanding is unavoidable. Thus it's goal is not to avoid it completely - as presented in western media often, but to minimize damages.

Both Likkud and NRP are rather Socialist Democrat in their economic stance, though likkud realized the country needs to cut it's security net , to get out of budget deficit, or else Israeli's economy will plummet.

The economical problem is deeper though, and is a result of both bank manipulations of currency and funds, and of bad and corrupt management in both state and private corporations.

NRP and Shinui are proud of finding an agreement. Thus they prove that religious and secular jews can get along, as long as they don't rape or abuse each other politically - and respect each other (something which ultra-orthodox parties don't do).


Shinui and NRP are unique in that they offer strategies rather than quick charm solutions. Likkud has lately been moving there too.

National Unity supports large compensations for arabs who leave Israel or the PA, and that is a sort of a willing transfer.

Avoda, and Meretz, support immediate talks with the same terrorists who started intifada 2000 , and unilateral separation (which only created a bigger threat in Lebanon, waiting to explode).

[Spiffor]

Siro :
What can we reasonably expect re: colonies and negociations with Palestinians in the near future ?

[St Leo]

I'm so glad Labour didn't sell out and compromise with Likud.

[TheStinger]

More settlements, that will help.

[Eli]

What can we reasonably expect re: colonies and negociations with Palestinians in the near future ?

Cant tell about negotiations, but the settlements will stay unless a permanent agreement is reached, an unlikely option.

At this point, no one is politically capable of removing settlements. The Labor and Meretz based most of their campaign on removing the Gaza Strip ones or all of them and that was suicidal, votes wise.

[Eli]

The thing that truly pissed me off is the Foreign/Treasury ministries.

Netanyahu is the best right wing candidate for Foreign Minister available. He's great at the job.

Silvan Shalom is a complete idiot. I bet he doesnt even know English.

Bibi should've gotten the Foreign. Frenkel or Baiga(assuming he is willing) the Treasury and Silvan the Industry&Commerse. Olmert shouldnt have gotten a thing, he caused a lot of damage to Jerusalem, he doesnt qualify to be a minister IMO.

[Arrian]

Cant tell about negotiations, but the settlements will stay unless a permanent agreement is reached, an unlikely option.

At this point, no one is politically capable of removing settlements.

Well, that's just spamtastic. Why is it politically unacceptable? Is it because the settlers wield that much political power? Or is it because the settlements are viewed as "bargaining chips" and to unilaterally give them up would be foolish?

-Arrian

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by Eli

Quote:

What can we reasonably expect re: colonies and negociations with Palestinians in the near future ?

Cant tell about negotiations, but the settlements will stay unless a permanent agreement is reached, an unlikely option.

At this point, no one is politically capable of removing settlements. The Labor and Meretz based most of their campaign on removing the Gaza Strip ones or all of them and that was suicidal, votes wise.

The IDF can flatten whole villages in hours, Sharon just has to give the orders. Then the palestinians won't be able to claim there land is being taken away and will lose any international support they have for continuing there bombings

[Traianvs]

Sharon forms Right-Wing government.

as was to be expected


Oh and Btw: Netanyahu on foreign affairs? ye cool some more Belgium bashing then...

[lord of the mark]

Bibi couldnt be For minister now - that would be to big a problem for Dubya. As it is the White House must be disappointed, but then they couldnt manage to deliver Labor . Presumably they are privy to what Sharon offered, and what Mitzna asked for.

I would be concerned about this govt's position on the social situation in Israel - except this govt is unlikely to last more than a few months.

As dubya made clear last night Iraq is the first step in a larger grand strat in the region. Part of that grand strat is that once there is substantial reform in the PA (and Abu Mazen as PM seems to be a good start) there will be pressure on Israel for "confidence building measures" if not closing any existing settelements, certainly a stop to expansion. And the beginning of serious talks. I dont know if Sharon wants that (though im optimistic) i am sure that NU doesnt want it, and i rather doubt that NRP wants it. I also dont see how Shinui can stay in if Sharon leans right and resists the Bush plan. So the only way this govt has longevity is if Bush gives in on Iraq - and that is NOT going to happen.