Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Labor Party Chairman Shimon
Peres are working behind the scenes to set up a unity
government. Almost all of the details have already been
worked out, including the distribution of portfolios and
other honors and if nothing unexpected happens with Sharon, a
unity government will indeed coalesce in the near future.
Peres likes the idea. The job of opposition and Labor Party
chairman is certainly a distinguished post, but the job of
Foreign Minister is much more distinguished.
Sharon also likes the idea. He knows that in order to
implement his partition plan he has no option other than a
unity government because after the Right resigns this will be
the only government he can set up. Holding new elections is
out of the question as far as he is concerned, and certainly
not in his current political situation, with the major
backsliding in his popularity and his weak support in Likud
according to the polls.
Based on reports, Peres and Sharon have agreed that the Labor
Party would receive 6-7 ministerial posts, including the
portfolios now held by members of HaIchud HaLeumi and the
National Religious Party, except for one portfolio to be
given to Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, who would be forced
to leave his post. Another Likud minister might also be
forced to part from his ministry. Another possibility has
been raised: to take the Communications Ministry out of
Olmert's hands and give it to a Labor minister.
The Right could torpedo the chances of a unity government by
resigning right now. The Labor Party has no pretext for
joining the government at present, before Sharon carries out
his partition plan. Resigning now would put Sharon in a
difficult political situation. On the other hand if the Right
decides to resign only after the government approves the
partition plan the Labor Party will be able to glide into the
government effortlessly.
However, based on the conduct exhibited by Lieberman and
Orlev, Alon and Eitam so far, to whom the throne appears to
be of far greater importance, there is no chance of somebody
resigning from the government at the moment. And perhaps they
have a little surprise in store and do not intend to resign
in the future either, even when the partition plan is
approved -- thereby toppling all of the hopes and dreams of
Shimon Peres & Co.
Jibril Rajoub's Allowance
As part of his series of allegations of Bituach Leumi
mismanagement--including a claim between 5 and 10 billion
shekels are doled out to fraudulent claimants--Finance
Minister Meir Shetreet posed a riddle to the Knesset Labor
and Welfare Committee: What do Jibril Rajoub, Chanan Ashrawi
and Arafat's bodyguard have in common?
Receiving no reply he proceeded to solve the riddle himself.
All of them receive allowances from Bituach Leumi.
Twelve thousand women who live primarily in the Palestinian
Authority also receive allowances from Bituach Leumi for
80,000-90,000 children. "Thousands of insured people
supposedly receive allowances although they are already
dead," he added, citing the case of a woman who passed away
in 1990 but continues to receive old-age payments.
To solve the problem he suggests the elderly recipients
should report once a month and present their ID in person.
"If somebody gets up out of the grave, we'll give him an
allowance, too," he quipped. He rejected proposed solutions
by Bituach Leumi Director-General Yigal Ben Shalom, saying
the institution must be restructured.
At first Shetreet wanted to say that the Finance Ministry
does not aim to take over financial control of Bituach Leumi,
but this assertion seems unlikely. Neither did the committee
members leave thoroughly convinced of Shetreet's pure
intentions.
Herzl Gedj, head of the Interior Ministry's Population
Administration, claimed there are 16,338 illegal aliens in
Israel originally listed as temporary residents but who
didn't become permanent residents, yet they receive
allowances from Bituach Leumi.
Ben Shalom acknowledged some of Shetreet's claims but
rejected others as groundless. He also complained that
neither Shetreet nor Gedj bothered to contact him directly in
advance to present their claims.
Committee Chairman Shaul Yahalom was astonished by the idea
of asking recipients to report with their ID cards. "How do
you expect the sick, the handicapped and the elderly to drag
themselves [to Bituach Leumi offices] in their condition?" he
asked Shetreet. He also stressed that regardless of the
dispute and its shortcomings, Bituach Leumi cannot be allowed
to become another Finance Ministry department.
