-Caveat Lector- 10.45am update http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,884534,00.html Sharon calls for unity government
Staff and agencies Wednesday January 29, 2003 The Guardian The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, today called for a national unity government against what he described as the "murderous hatred" of Palestinian militants. The call came after his Likud party had secured a resounding election victory. However, Mr Sharon's efforts to form a broad-based coalition are likely to be thwarted by the defeated Labour party. That would leave him little choice but to ally with religious and ultra-nationalist parties that oppose US and European-backed peace moves and demand a tougher stance against the Palestinians. Israel TV quoted Mr Sharon as saying, off-camera, that he would rather call fresh elections than preside over such a narrow coalition. Before debate over the coalition began, Mr Sharon savoured victory. The 74-year-old, who was elected in February 2001, achieved what no Israeli prime minister has managed since 1961: calling an early election and winning. Likud almost doubled its strength, going from 19 to 37 seats in the 120- member parliament. Its main political rival, centre-left Labour, recorded its worst-ever showing in dropping from 26 to 19 seats. In a triple front page headline, this morning's Yediot Ahronot newspaper said: "Sharon wins, the left crashes, Lapid leaps." The latter reference was to pundit turned politician Yosef "Tommy" Lapid, head of the centrist Shinui party, which more than doubled its strength to 15 seats and became the third-largest faction in parliament. Mr Lapid has further complicated the issue of a coalition by insisting that his party would join a grouping with Likud and Labour, but not with religious parties. "We think that the country is facing very grave crises and a narrow right- wing government is not the solution to this," he told Army Radio. For Mr Sharon, setting up a secular government would mean breaking a strategic alliance with Shas, an ultra-Orthodox party representing Jews whose families originated in Arabic-speaking countries. The Israeli prime minister profited from the electorate's shift to the right in response to the conflict with the Palestinians. Many Israelis feel that the Palestinians turned their backs on negotiation to launch an uprising 28 months ago. The election results indicate that many voters blame Labour, which led the failed peace talks, for the current troubles. Addressing Likud supporters in Tel Aviv early today, Mr Sharon said that the Israelis must unite against external threats. "The differences between us are dwarfed by the murderous hatred of the terror organisations," he said. The prime minister has said that he wants to revive his 20-month alliance with Labour following its collapse last November. However, he did not mention the party by name in his victory speech, and did not offer policy incentives that might tempt Labour to reverse a campaign promise to stay out of a government led by Mr Sharon. "There's no doubt that Likud can go and establish a right-wing, nationalist government based on yesterday's results," Limor Livnat, a Likud cabinet minister, told Israel Radio. "But the prime minister has said all the way that he supports, with all his heart, a broad national unity government, because the challenges we are facing now are especially difficult," she added. Israeli commentators also said that Mr Sharon wanted to avoid presiding over a narrow, right-wing government because it would limit his political options and be prone to collapse. "A right-wing government would severely reduce the political manoeuvring in facing the Americans and make it difficult for (Mr Sharon) to find a way out of the economic collapse," columnist Nahum Barnea wrote in Yediot Ahronot. In his concession speech, Mr Mitzna pledged to lead a spirited opposition and prepare Labour for the next election. "Politics are a marathon, and we are only in the first few kilometers," the 57-year-old said. "It is no shame to be in opposition, and I promise you that our time there will be short," he added. However, Labour's disappointing showing has resulted in growing speculation that the party could try to depose of Mr Mitzna, who took over as leader only two months ago. Yossi Sarid, the leader of Meretz, a party associated with peace moves toward the Palestinians, resigned after it had dropped from six seats from 10 in the outgoing parliament. Many Palestinians have said that they fear a worsening of the Middle East crisis during a second term in power for Mr Sharon. "You have Sharon in a new government, a war against Iraq imminent, the disappearance of the peace process: all these factors," said Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat. During the vote, the Israeli military imposed stringent travel bans in the Palestinian areas, including curfews confining hundreds of thousands of West Bank residents to their homes. Mr Sharon has presided over major military offensives against suspected militants and, in June, troops reoccupied nearly all West Bank population centres. The election was Israel's fourth national poll in seven years, and only 68.5% of the 4.7 million-strong electorate cast ballots - the lowest-ever participation in a knesset election. Election - the key results ·Likud party wins 37 seats (up from 19). ·Labour party wins 19 seats (down from 26). ·Shinui party wins 15 seats (up from six). ·Shas party wins 11 seats (down from 17). ·Meretz party wins 6 seats (down from 10). ·Soldiers' and diplomats' votes, which could slightly change the outcome, are still to be counted. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003 Forwarded for your information. 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