Israeli Political Roundup - Sharon Plays Angry Father to Lapid's Spoiled Rotton Brat
If you're at all interested in Israeli politics, don't don't don't you dare miss the must-read Ha'aretz synopsis of threats to the Sharon government. Everyone gets great quotes in, and Tommy Lapid is pissed:
"There's no money for the police, no money for the prosecutors, no money for bodyguards," remarked Shinui's leader, Justice Minister Yosef Lapid. "But there's 420 million shekels to spare for knaidelach [matzoh balls] for the rabbis."
The knives are out on the editorial pages, where everyone is absolutely, positively, without a doubt convinced that this time Sharon is really done:
However you look at it, Sharon's second government is in its final death throes. Even if Sharon maneuvers out of this crisis, the next few months will not be smooth sailing.
This from the people who brought you breathtaking news over and over again that Sharon was about to be forced into resignation last March. It's not so much that Israeli editorial writers regularly engage in wishing away the Sharon government. It's not that they're so bad at it. It's that they don't even seem to read their own papers:
The prevailing view on Monday was that Sharon could go back to the central committee and say that that if they don't approve a Labor and UTJ coalition, the only alternative is elections. That could be good for Sharon, because many of the new Likud MKs who are also counted among the rebels could get cold feet about challenging the new coalition, fearing they might not be reelected.
And on a more entertaining note, when did Yossi Sarid become religious? Watch him go all Biblical:
"Woe is Sharon and his government if he escapes no-confidence motions because of his most determined rivals, who never sat with him in the same coalition and never will," said MK Yossei Sarid, the former chairman of the party.
Not that it matters: make sure you read Gil Hoffman's article in the Jerusalem Post explaining in precisely how many different ways Lapid can take his newly-minted principles and in how many different places he can shove them. Ma'ariv covers Shinui's perspective here: it apparently has something to do with Israeli haredi not being people, but I didnt't really follow the arguments all that closely (and let me be clear: I'm not a particular fan of the money that Israel sinks into isolated settlements and religious schools, but surely NIS290 million isn't too much to pay for disengagement).
Long story short - Sharon will as usual get what he wants:
Minister without Portfolio Tzachi Hanegbi, the newly elected chairman of the powerful Likud central committee, said Monday he believed the committee would allow Labor into the coalition government, together with the religious parties.
"There's no money for the police, no money for the prosecutors, no money for bodyguards," remarked Shinui's leader, Justice Minister Yosef Lapid. "But there's 420 million shekels to spare for knaidelach [matzoh balls] for the rabbis."
The knives are out on the editorial pages, where everyone is absolutely, positively, without a doubt convinced that this time Sharon is really done:
However you look at it, Sharon's second government is in its final death throes. Even if Sharon maneuvers out of this crisis, the next few months will not be smooth sailing.
This from the people who brought you breathtaking news over and over again that Sharon was about to be forced into resignation last March. It's not so much that Israeli editorial writers regularly engage in wishing away the Sharon government. It's not that they're so bad at it. It's that they don't even seem to read their own papers:
The prevailing view on Monday was that Sharon could go back to the central committee and say that that if they don't approve a Labor and UTJ coalition, the only alternative is elections. That could be good for Sharon, because many of the new Likud MKs who are also counted among the rebels could get cold feet about challenging the new coalition, fearing they might not be reelected.
And on a more entertaining note, when did Yossi Sarid become religious? Watch him go all Biblical:
"Woe is Sharon and his government if he escapes no-confidence motions because of his most determined rivals, who never sat with him in the same coalition and never will," said MK Yossei Sarid, the former chairman of the party.
Not that it matters: make sure you read Gil Hoffman's article in the Jerusalem Post explaining in precisely how many different ways Lapid can take his newly-minted principles and in how many different places he can shove them. Ma'ariv covers Shinui's perspective here: it apparently has something to do with Israeli haredi not being people, but I didnt't really follow the arguments all that closely (and let me be clear: I'm not a particular fan of the money that Israel sinks into isolated settlements and religious schools, but surely NIS290 million isn't too much to pay for disengagement).
Long story short - Sharon will as usual get what he wants:
Minister without Portfolio Tzachi Hanegbi, the newly elected chairman of the powerful Likud central committee, said Monday he believed the committee would allow Labor into the coalition government, together with the religious parties.
