Ha’aretz does the meta-work in two seperate editorials. The Ha’aretz editorial staff puts their heads together to explain the stakes. Then the voice of Israel’s liberal establishment officially endorses a unity government.:
The Likud convention is expected to decide today whether to form a government in partnership with Labor, a vote that is likely to determine whether the withdrawal from Gaza will take place as planned. There is currently no other political option that would enable the Gush Katif settlements to be evacuated on schedule. Nor is there any other coalition that would enable the implementation of other cabinet and Knesset decisions on the disengagement. Anyone who proposes holding new elections is proposing a postponement of the withdrawal from Gaza, and perhaps even its cancelation…
Those who view the very establishment of a unity government as a serious democratic aberration should understand that there is no more serious aberration in Israel’s democracy than its control over 1.5 million Palestinians to whom that democracy does not apply… The arguments against a unity government are valid for the moment after the withdrawal. But for the withdrawal itself, the public and its elected officials must mobilize as for a war and carry out the task with as many political forces as possible consolidated behind it.
The Labor vote is going to be a bloodbath – Peres lost his move to try to push it back today, and no one really knows what’s going to happen. The Likud vote was supposed to be the easy part – but even that is running into problems (although no one seriously anticipates any real problems – Sharon owns those jokers).
Having given their collective imprinture to the unity government, Ha’aretz then goes all point-counterpoint. Point by Israel “token Likudnik” Harel: a unity government is bad because it’s a victory for terrorism. Counterpoint by Gideon “the problem with Mapai is there was too much dissent” Samat: a unity government is bad because Sharon is evil evil evil:
Those who began their careers watching de Gaulle, Eisenhower, Stalin and Churchill at work will succeed – or fail – at a move that will determine if there will be more foot-dragging by a disintegrating regime or the start of a new chapter… Labor’s entry into the government under the current circumstances will be of no little shame for Peres and his party. As ministers, they will be small pawns on a board on which Sharon is playing until he decides to checkmate them.
Sharon would literally have to start signing copies of the Communist Manifesto “here’s hoping for a New Middle East — Arik Sharon” before Ha’aretz would even think of suggesting that he might possibly be a human being, with emotions and everything.
