Rebel Victory
Finally the Likud rebels have something to smile about.
Unlike what took place after the vote among party members
when Sharon disregarded the outcome of the referendum,
pushing his Gaza disengagement plan through heedless of his
party's wrath, the matter of bringing the Labor Party into
the coalition appears to be somewhat different.
Due to the decision by the Likud Convention, it seems Sharon
will not bring Labor into the coalition despite his repeated
declarations that the convention would not be the determining
factor, but rather the Knesset and the good of the
country.
At a certain stage, Sharon sobered up from his power trip,
realizing that in order to have the Labor Party join, he
needed the votes of the MKs from his party. Without a
decision by the Likud Convention, at least 15 (of 40) MKs
would not support the move, a number that could rise to 25 or
even 30 MKs after the decision, for no Knesset member would
want to go against the decisions of the convention, whose
members select the next Knesset list.
In the Knesset vote on the disengagement plan Sharon can
afford to have 20 Likud MKs or even more vote against it
since he has the support of the Labor Party, Meretz, the Arab
MKs and a portion of Am Echad. But to bring in the Labor
Party he doesn't have these votes. So without nearly
unanimous support by Likud MKs it would be almost impossible
to pass such a move in the Knesset.
In the situation that has come about, Sharon will focus on
preserving the current government and creating an ad hoc
majority for every issue on an individual basis--just
like the plan espoused by Coalition Chairman Gidon Saar, who
strenuously objected to both the disengagement plan and
including Labor in the coalition.
To pass the disengagement plan and the accompanying laws, for
example, he can turn to Labor and other left-wing MKs. To
pass the national budget he would try to recruit United Torah
Jewry members (assuming that under the new set of
circumstances they will not join the coalition because of
Shinui), HaIchud HaLeumi and maybe even Shas. To pass other
laws, the majority would probably have to be different.
In any case, Sharon's main goals are passing and executing
the disengagement plan and passing the 2005 Budget. If he
manages to jump over these two hurdles, the government and
the coalition will be able to survive as is for even another
year, even if they encounter numerous difficulties along the
way, though at the moment it does not appear that a majority
of 61 will take shape in the Knesset, seeking to bring down
the government and hold new elections.
Who's Worse -- The Likud or Saddam Hussein?
Knesset Constitutional Committee Chairman Michael Eitan is
known as a brave individualist. He belongs to no camp, but
makes decisions for himself on an individual basis. Sometimes
he's with Sharon, other times with Netanyahu. Sometimes he
leans to the left, other times to the right. Thus he can back
the Disengagement Plan and at the same time oppose having
Labor join the coalition. He is also known to be fair and
hardworking and not long ago the Knesset press corps named
him the most courteous MK.
A recent meeting of the Likud Court provided a classic
example of just who Eitan is. The court was deliberating
whether to hear a petition by party members demanding the
Likud Congress be convened to discuss Sharon's plans to bring
the Labor Party into the coalition. The head of the court,
Judge Avigdor Mishali threatened to eject Eitan from the
meeting room for raising his voice. Yet Eitan was not
undaunted by the threat. "You won't throw me out of here," he
said. "I am shouting because everyone else is keeping quiet.
Some people get paid a lot of money. Some people get
appointed ministers, director-generals, MKs, officials in all
kinds of places, and some people keep quiet because they are
waiting to get appointments. So everybody keeps quiet. When
the [Likud] Court keeps quiet it's a real problem. The Court
should have shouted, not me." Eventually the Court upheld the
petition despite a disgruntled Sharon Family.
Eitan is fed up with how the Likud has been run lately,
particularly Omri Sharon's takeover of the party and the
country. In an interview he granted to Besheva, Eitan
came out strongly against Omri Sharon, not mincing words in
describing his deep aversion to him and what has been taking
place in the Likud.
"At least Ceausescu gave the appearance of gathering 20
people to head the party," said Eitan, referring to Romania's
former communist regime. "They would raise their hands and
announce, `The decision has been reached.' Here even this is
not done. Sharon does not even count his politburo. The
Congress Presidency sits and Omri and Sharon sit with them
telling them what to do. Did anyone choose him for this post?
Was he chosen for any post? He was chosen to be an MK and
even this was only after the election system was changed in
order to get him into the Knesset. So he's an MK. But what
standing does he have beyond that? That he is the [Prime
Minister's] son?"
Gathering steam Eitan continued, "What Sharon is doing with
the Likud, with his son, is a disgrace to the country. One
day, when the history of the country is written objectively,
everyone will ridicule us. Who are we to laugh at the
Palestinians? At Arafat's corruption? At Saddam Hussein? And
what do we do? Did Begin not have a son? Until Begin resigned
his son did not go to the Knesset. Did Shamir not have a son?
Does Shimon Peres not have a son? Are they less able than
Omri? Do they have less integrity than Omri? They are
nothings while Omri is Meor Hagola? Is Omri emblematic
of the path to follow, of our sense of right and wrong, of
honesty? And he just so happens to be the Prime Minister's
son? After all, everyone knows what is going on. This is a
disgrace. This is an insult."
A Generation of Swindlers and Thieves
Later in the interview Eitan claims the Likud is raising a
generation of crooked politicians. "The Likud has 3,000
people from whom mayors, bureau heads, ranking officials and
MKs will sprout up. They will enter politics, half of them as
new activists taking their first steps. From us they learn
that this is how a party is run. This is how institutions are
run. From Day 1 they learn to be swindlers and thieves. And
if you ever reach the government--keep your mouth shut. Don't
give democracy a chance. This is the education they receive
from us. Are you aware of the consequences of this and what
damage this does at the national level?"
Eitan also has many gripes against the media. "The Likud
commits crimes against democracy and the media not only
remains silent, but even gives its backing . . . Every
reporter who interviews Sharon should have asked him, `Sir,
it's been two years and there are no institutions. Are you
not ashamed? You're Likud Chairman.'"
In the interview Eitan also offers praise for Sharon in a few
areas, such as the Disengagement Plan, but in his concluding
statement, though acknowledging Sharon is a "bulldozer" Eitan
says he is "running over the Likud."
