- JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel's
moderate Labor Party walked out of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government,
forcing him to rely on extreme-right and religious parties for a parliament
majority.
-
- Labor leader Binyamin Ben-Eliezer handed in his resignation
as defense minister last night, followed by other Labor ministers, after
Sharon rejected his request to reduce funding for Jewish settlers in the
West Bank and Gaza.
-
- The walkout raised the prospect of early elections. In
his statement after his resignation, Ben-Eliezer laid out his platform
for opposing Sharon, saying the government had no plans for peace with
the Palestinians and had abandoned Israeli's poor.
-
- "We have reached a situation where we have done
every thing possible militarily and we have reached the moment where the
government must present its political vision," Ben-Eliezer told lawmakers.
-
- Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat termed the upset
"an internal Israeli matter". But he also warned that "if
there is a new coalition between the Likud and the right wing in Israel
it will also be at the expense of the Palestinian people and against the
peace process.''
-
- Sharon aides have said he is likely to move forward elections
scheduled for November 2003, but the prime minister suggested otherwise
in his speech to parliament yesterday. "We will continue to lead the
country in a responsible and clear-headed way," he said.
-
- Under Israeli law, the resignations only take effect
after 48 hours, leaving room for last-ditch maneuvers but politicians from
both sides assessed that Sharon's 20-month "unity government"
was at an end.
-
- After Labor's pullout, Sharon was left commanding 55
seats in Israel's 120-seat parliament. However, he was expected to add
around 10 more by co-opting new coalition partners such as the ultranationalist
Israel Beitenu party.
-
- Sharon's challenge would be to stay afloat with the support
of the extreme-right and religious parties, meaning more political instability
and constant pressures for even tougher, internationally unpopular policies
towards the Palestinians.
-
- Critics accused Ben-Eliezer of partisan politics, noting
that in the polls ahead of Labor's Nov. 19 leadership primary he trails
two more dovish challengers, and leaving the government over a settlement
dispute could boost his standing. "It's the height of irresponsibility,
" said Education Minister Limor Livnat of Sha ron's Likud Party.
-
- In stressing the plight of the unemployed, the elderly
and other low-income groups Ben-Eliezer was speaking to a constituency
which has generally been the focus of Shas, now the second-largest party
in the coalition with the departure of Labor.
-
- As Ben-Eliezer spoke in parliament of the "tens
of thousands of hungry children, maybe more," in Israel today, he
was heckled by Shas deputies, but was quick to counterattack.
-
- "For you its hard to see the Labor Party voting
against a budget on ... social issues,'' he said. "After all, that's
what you're here for.''
-
- Earlier in the day, in a three-hour negotiating session
, Labor quit the governing coalition after Sharon rejected its demands
to cut US$145 million in funds for Jewish settlements in the US$57 billion
2003 state budget. Compromise proposals failed.
-
- After Labor's pullout, Sharon was left commanding 55
seats in Israel's 120-seat parliament. However, he was expected to add
around 10 more by co-opting new coalition partners such as the ultranationalist
Israel Beitenu party.
-
- Sharon's challenge would be to stay afloat with the support
of the extreme-right and religious parties, meaning more political instability
and constant pressures for even tougher, internationally unpopular policies
towards the Palestinians.
-
- Critics accused Ben-Eliezer of partisan politics, noting
that in the polls ahead of Labor's Nov. 19 leadership primary he trails
two more dovish challengers, and leaving the government over a settlement
dispute could boost his standing. "It's the height of irresponsibility,
" said Education Minister Limor Livnat of Sha ron's Likud Party.
-
- In stressing the plight of the unemployed, the elderly
and other low-income groups Ben-Eliezer was speaking to a constituency
which has generally been the focus of Shas, now the second-largest party
in the coalition with the departure of Labor.
-
- As Ben-Eliezer spoke in parliament of the "tens
of thousands of hungry children, maybe more," in Israel today, he
was heckled by Shas deputies, but was quick to counterattack.
-
- "For you its hard to see the Labor Party voting
against a budget on ... social issues,'' he said. "After all, that's
what you're here for.''
-
- Earlier in the day, in a three-hour negotiating session
, Labor quit the governing coalition after Sharon rejected its demands
to cut US$145 million in funds for Jewish settlements in the US$57 billion
2003 state budget. Compromise proposals failed.
-
- Copyright © 2002 Press Trust of India Ltd. All rights
reserved.
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