Posted on 06/27/2004 7:46:08 PM PDT by anotherview
Jun. 28, 2004 0:19 | Updated Jun. 28, 2004 0:49
Peres: Prepare for elections
By TOVAH LAZAROFF
Labor Party leader Shimon Peres called for new elections Sunday, on the night before his party was set to bring its first no-confidence motion against the government since the cabinet passed its disengagement plan last month.
Labor last week voted against the government in a no-confidence motion on Sharon's economic platform filed by Shas, after abstaining on such motions this month. Today, in a move that returns Labor to an opposition party, it plans to put forward one of its own, also on budgetary issues.
Speaking at a Labor Party meeting in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening, Peres called on party members to "support peace and prepare for new elections." But his message on this score was mixed as he also told them that it would be a mistake to interfere with the Likud's plan to disengage from Gaza.
When asked after the meeting if his statement about the Likud could be interpreted to mean that Labor is willing to join a national unity government, Peres replied, "There is no such proposal right now."
He added that Labor is "ready to support peace without being in the government."
Still, in his speech he attacked the presence of religious parties in the government, a composition that Sharon has prioritized in recent weeks. Sharon has also hinted that he would consider bringing a haredi party into the government rather than forming a national unity government with Labor.
Peres said, "I am against religious parties." In other speeches he has explained that he believes all parties should protect religious rights.
He attacked the Likud's economic platform for harming the weaker elements of society and for hindering efforts to attract immigrants, a move that he said is necessary to preserve the country's Jewish identity.
Give us Netanyahu!!!
I seriously doubt Bibi would be elected if he were able to defeat the Prime Minister in the Likud primary that would precede an election. (I actually doubt he would win the primary in any case.) A large majority of Israelis favor the Prime Minister's disengagement plan. If a Likud leader who opposed the plan were to emerge many centrist and center-right voters would abandon Likud, either in favor of Shinui or Avodah (Labour).
Whether you support the Prime Minister or not, that is the political reality in Israel today.
I keep reading this over and over, but nobody ever quantifies it. They used to say that a large majority of Likud favored the plan until they had to put it to a vote. Then, it turned out that a large majority -- statistically provable -- was opposed.
Are you relying on a particular poll, or is it just your general belief?
The majority are opposed to it. The majority of Likud are opposed to it, the religious parties are opposed to it, the nationalist parties are opposed to it. labor and the far left only represent about 20% of Israel now.
That's what I think, too. I was just being polite.
My understanding is that Bibi gave at least lukewarm approval to the pullout plan.
Are you in Israel and reading the same polls I read? About 2/3 of Israelis are in favor of the disengagement plan. The majority of Likud members didn't even bother to vote on it and the opposition was motivated.
The vast majority of Israelis are neither on the right nor the left. They are in the middle.
It is not my general belief. It is based on polling data published in such places as Yediot Aharanot, Ma'ariv, various Israeli TV and radio outlets, etc...
Either you have information or you don't.
You don't post any specifics, just "everybody thinks..." sort of comments.
I don't think you have this information.
Wishing it is so doesn't make it so. That's how people came to believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and Oslo.
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