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| Israel-Palestine |
| Israeli PM loses Knesset majority |
| 2004-06-09 |
| (This is not kosher but Ariel should hold on.) Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has lost his parliamentary majority, but his government does not appear to be in immediate danger. The coalition has been shaken after two pro-settler ministers who oppose Mr Sharon’s Gaza disengagement plan resigned on Tuesday. The move leaves Mr Sharon with the support of no more than 59 members in the 120-seat Knesset. But the opposition Labour party says it is prepared to act as a safety net. GAZA PULL-OUT PLAN Pull-out from all 21 settlements in Gaza and 4 in West Bank Preparation period due to end by March 2005 Four-stage evacuation to be completed by end of 2005 Each stage requires cabinet vote Labour leader Shimon Peres told public radio on Wednesday: "You cannot fail to be happy that Likud [Mr Sharon’s party] has renounced its deceptive dream of creating a Greater Israel, accepted the idea of dismantling settlements and the creation of a Palestinian state." The leader of the Likud party in parliament has also expressed confidence that the government is not facing an immediate threat. "The coalition can rely on the support of no more than 59 deputies but the opposition is not in a position to mobilise 61 to bring down the government," Gideon Saar said. The two cabinet members who resigned, Housing Minister Effi Eitam and junior minister Yitzhak Levy, belong to the pro-settler National Religious Party (NRP). Phased pull-out NRP members were angered by the cabinet’s approval of Mr Sharon’s plan to withdraw from Gaza by the end of 2005, uprooting 7,500 Jewish settlers. However, the party ’s four other Knesset members have decided to stay in the government for now, sparing the need for Mr Sharon to seek a new coalition partner or carry on at the head of a minority government. On Sunday, cabinet voted 14 to seven to back a revised version of Mr Sharon’s disengagement plan for a phased pull-out from Gaza - but it postponed a vote on implementation until next year. Under the amended plan, fresh votes will be needed at each stage before settlements are removed, and the process will not begin until March 2005. Last week, Mr Sharon sacked two pro-settler opponents of his plan - Tourism Minister Benny Elon and Transport Minister Avigdor Lieberman of the National Union party. |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |