Netanyahu shores up Sharon coalition
Sharon and Netanyahu met yesterday for the second time in three days as Sharon attempted to shore up his coalition, which is in danger of collapse. He also met with representatives of a far-right party who could give him a parliamentary majority if they joined.
Netanyahu "has agreed, though the agreement is connected to the government going to early elections," said Netanyahu spokeswoman Rena Riger. "It's a conditional acceptance we are waiting for an answer from the prime minister." Elections must be held by November of next year, but could take place sooner.
Sharon's office did not immediately comment on the report.
Sharon's broad-based coalition government lost its majority in parliament last week when the moderate Labour Party, the largest single faction, quit over a dispute about funding to Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. The coalition now has 55 seats in the 120 seat parliament, making the government vulnerable to collapse, with several no-confidence motions expected in parliament coming days.
Sharon and his aides are looking to form an alliance with the far-right National Union-Israel Beiteinu party, which has seven seats, enough to give the government a narrow majority.
National Union leaders met yesterday with Sharon's Cabinet Secretary Gideon Saar to discuss joining the
government. No decision was reached, but more talks were planned.
"We're not setting up a new government the talks are about broadening it," said Saar. He also said there was no deadline for bringing additional parties on board. Sharon has said he will not alter his policies to bring in additional parties, but the National Union says it wants to see the government move further to the right in its handling of Israel's conflict with the Palestinians.
"We want a significant change in the policies of the government," said Yuri Stern, a National Union lawmaker who was taking part in the talks.
The party was originally part of Sharon's coalition when it was formed last year, but later left amid policy disputes. The party opposes the creation of Palestinian state and wants to see Yasser Arafat removed as the Palestinian leader, said Benny Elon, a National Union lawmaker. Such coalition partners could also tie Sharon's hands in responding to the current US-led push to establish a Palestinian State with provisional borders by next year.
Before Sharon met with Netanyahu, he told the Cabinet that Netanyahu "can add important strength to the government." When Netanyahu was prime minister from 1996-'99, Sharon served as foreign minister for the latter part of that tenure. Despite their occasional alliances, the two men are better known as fierce rivals. Both are jockeying for position in the race for Likud party leader in advance of elections.
