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Inside Israel

Likud to Labor: Remember, the goal is retreat


By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
December 16, 2004

Likud Party negotiators acting on behalf of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expressed frustration Wednesday over stalled coalition talks with Labor, urging the leftist Knesset faction to keep focused on the goal of retreat.

Talks aimed at forming a national unity government and shoring up Sharon’s shaky 40-seat coalition reached an impasse this week when Labor officials rejected as insufficient Likud’s offer of six ministerial portfolios and a new “super-vice premiership” for party leader Shimon Peres.

Sharon called Peres Wednesday to say if Labor did not accept the offer soon, the prime minister would initiate early elections.

Sharon is expected to easily win a fresh election, while Labor would likely drop more of its current 19 Knesset seats.

“The way to resolve this dispute is for Labor to remember that the purpose of all the negotiations is to advance the disengagement plan,” Likud negotiating team leader Yoram Raved told The Jerusalem Post .

The difficulties in bringing Labor into the government means that “apparently disengagement isn't what's important to them,” Raved said, referring to Sharon’s plan to cleanse the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria of their Jews.

Labor has repeatedly stated its firm support for Sharon’s pullout plan, but has said it would rather back the plan from the opposition than be left unable to effect its own economic polices even from within the government.

The socialist-minded Labor remains doggedly opposed to what Peres called the “piggish” capitalist reforms of Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

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