| Submit your comments on this article |
| Israel-Palestine |
| All Eyes on Bibi |
| 2004-11-02 |
| Time is running out for Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, each of whom have put themselves into a small corner while the 2005 budget and possibly the entire government hang in the balance. Netanyahu insisted Monday he will keep his promise to quit the government in nine days if the Prime Minster does not agree to conduct a national referendum on the disengagement plan. Sharon repeatedly has said he will not change his mind, even if the only alternative is new elections. But Silvan Shalom, Sharon's Foreign Minister who stole the limelight last week by convincing some anti-evacuation Likud MKs to vote for the program, said he plans to try to twist the Finance Minister's arm. "I think our objective is to preserve the unity of the government," he said. Shalom planned to meet with him today and tomorrow. Netanyahu delivered the ultimatum, in the name of himself and several other Likud ministers, last week. Education Minister Limor Livnat withdrew the same threat, saying that "when I saw that the majority did not support this (referendum) initiative, I changed my mind." The other ministers also have backed down, leaving Netanyahu alone. On Netanyahu's side is the 2005 budget which the Knesset is to vote on next week. Its passage is not certain, and a defeat of the budget in a no-confidence vote would bring down the government. His resignation also would severely upset the financial markets, where Netanyahu has been given high marks for his economic reforms. Furthermore, replacing him with a new finance minister would weaken Sharon's ability to resist Labor demands on next year's planned expenditures. Prime Minister Sharon, who has been Netanyahu's political rival for several years but who has been allied with him on economic issues, is said to be willing to have Netanyahu remain in the government. Political analysts say that Sharon knows that Netanyahu will be more of a political threat to him if he quits the government and then openly opposes Sharon. Netanyahu has significantly more support among the Likud Central Committee membership than does the Prime Minister. |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |