Peretz threatens to topple Sharon government

[cal04]

New Labor party chief Amir Peretz threatened on Sunday to bring down Ariel Sharon's coalition government next week unless the prime minister meets him quickly to agree on a date for an early election.
"If a meeting with Sharon does not take place at the beginning of the week, we may act to topple the government on Wednesday," said Peretz, surprise winner over elder statesman Shimon Peres of Labor's leadership election on Thursday.

Israel's parliament is expected to vote on several no-confidence motions on Wednesday. Support from Labor, Sharon's biggest coalition partners, is crucial if the government is to survive the votes. An election must be held within 90 days if parliament passes a no-confidence vote. Peretz's camp originally said he and Sharon would meet on Sunday. The prime minister's office offered a meeting for Thursday.

"Sharon acted irresponsibly when he delayed the meeting. I also know political tricks, and intend on keeping my cards close to my chest," Peretz told Israel's Channel Two television. Peretz has said he would propose to Sharon an election in March or in May, advancing a vote not due until November 2006. Sharon's spokesmen were not immediate available for comment. In a major show of strength by Israel's left, tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv to mark the 10th anniversary of the killing of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by an Israeli Jew who opposed his peace talks with the Palestinians.

Peretz, in his first major public appearance since becoming Labor leader, told the crowd that Israel needed to leave West Bank land it occupied in the 1967 Middle East Ear and move toward a permanent peace agreement to carry on Rabin's legacy.

http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-11-12T205948Z_01_SPI258858_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST-PERETZ.xml

[Wordie]

1. This may be a truly historic turning point we're witnessing. Let's hope.nt

[Englander]

2. Labor ministers likely to quit Sharon government this week

By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent

Labor Party ministers will resign from the government even before a Knesset vote Wednesday on four bills calling for the dissolution of the house, should the faction decide to support the bills at its own meeting Tuesday, several ministers said Sunday.

Amir Peretz, the party's new chairman, has declared that Labor will support the dissolution bills if Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has not met with him by Wednesday to discuss an agreed date for early elections. Thus far, however, Sharon has refused to meet with him before Thursday.

Meanwhile, Peretz is set to meet Monday with the leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, to discuss early elections.

National Infrastructures Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer told Haaretz that if Sharon and Peretz have not met by Wednesday, the chances are good that the Labor faction will back its leader and vote for dissolution. In that case, the Labor ministers would submit their resignations before the vote rather than waiting for Sharon to fire them, he said.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/644933.html

[Englander]

3. Lapid reassures Peretz that Shinui won't replace Labor in gov't

By Gideon Alon and Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondents, and Haaretz Service

Labor leader Amir Peretz on Tuesday won a pledge from Shinui Chairman Yosef Lapid that his party will not join Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's floundering coalition when Labor quits, Israel Radio reported.

On Wednesday, the Knesset will vote on four bills calling for the dissolution of the parliament.

A senior Labor party official close to Peretz had voiced the concern overnight that if the Labor ministers quit the government, Shinui might step in to help Sharon maintain a ruling coalition.

The Labor cabinet ministers had announced Monday night that they had signed letters of resignation, which Peretz would deliver to Sharon if the two fail to set a date for new elections at their meeting Thursday.

Earlier Monday, the ministers had promised Peretz in writing that they would quit the government. In the meantime, the Labor Central Committee will convene to decide on the issue of staying in the coalition.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/645263.html