Israeli left scrambles to exploit Likud divisions

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By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
May 31, 2004

Israel's left wing politicians, who suffered an unprecedented defeat at the polls just 18 months ago, are seizing the opportunity presented to them by the disarray and acrimony tearing at the governing Likud Party to woo the electorate back to their side.

On Monday, opposition Labor Party leader Shimon Peres lashed out at the "disgraceful" behavior of the ruling coalition at Sunday's cabinet meeting, and said the country should go to new elections if Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu could not overcome their differences.

His attack came after Netanyahu appeared to have firmed up his opposition to the Sharon disengagement plan, angering the prime minister to the point where he threatened to fire those ministers who failed to support him.

Sharon's plan calls for placating Arab and international demands by uprooting thousands of Jews from their homes in the historically Jewish lands of Gaza and Judea-Samaria.

Netanyahu has called on Sharon to respect the majority decision of the Likud Party - which Sharon leads - not to go ahead with his plan.

The premier's expressed determination to push ahead despite his party's position led to a tense exchange between him and Netanyahu Sunday, with Sharon finally threatening to take unprecedented political steps to ensure he got his way.

On Monday, Sharon, who had agreed after much persuasion to present his revised version of the plan to the Likud Central Committee, appeared to use the outburst of one of his party colleagues as an excuse to cancel the presentation after all.

MK Naomi Blumenthal slammed Sharon’s disregard for his party’s expressed wishes as “haughty, conceited and arrogant.”

To Labor and the other left-wing parties, the disunity appearing to threaten the very existence of the Likud is a god-send, offering them hope of returning to political prominence after they were routed in January 2003.

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