-Caveat Lector- w w w . h a a r e t z d a i l y . c o m http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=257102 &contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0
Lapid: Shinui given historic chance to alter 'face of Israel' The big winner of the 2003 election, Shinui leader Yosef "Tommy" Lapid, told supporters at the party's election night headquarters in Tel Aviv's Beit Sokolov Tuesday evening that the public had given his party "a historic opportunity to change the face of Israel, [to] shape the government, its policies and Israel's image." But in the same speech he called on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to form a "secular unity coalition" with Shinui and the Likud and reiterated his vow not to join a coalition government with ultra-Orthodox parties. But Lapid said his party would "play a major part in shaping the next government of Israel. The public has clearly declared that it wants a different Israel." The Shinui leader also called on his counterpart in Labor, Amram Mitzna to reconsider his decision to stay out of any coalition government led by Sharon. "Does Mitzna want to leave the State of Israel in the hands of the extreme right?" he said, as the party faithful cheered loudly. "Is the Labor Party more important than the state of Israel?" Lapid told the cheering crowd at that "we will be a bridge between the left and the right to form a balanced policy that will bring us to peace and security with the Palestinians. But the first job is to form a secular unity government." Begging for quiet several times, he went on to say that does not mean Shinui is against the religious. "We will tell the religious in this country - don't be frightened of us. We are not against religion, not against Jews, and not against religious Jews. We are against the exploitation of religion for money and power." Lapid said "we will not conduct a religious war in this country. We will not make a civil war. But we want equal rights for equal duties, for all citizens. And after we straighten out the line between us and the religious, the country will be able to rest, it will be equitable and reasonable toward all its citizens, Jews, Arabs and Druze, all citizens." In an Israel Radio interview Wednesday morning, Lapid said that Shinui couldn't join a government that includes Shas, because it would make it impossible for the secular party to implement the changes it wants in the country. Meretz leader Yossi Sarid, meanwhile, announced that if the projections of the three television channels proved correct - they gave Meretz between five and eight seats - he would step down as party chairman. "When the results are so disappointing," he said, "someone has to take responsibility." Likud lawmaker Tzachi Hanegbi said that "the voters have had their say. The people want the left removed from positons of power. The people have also made a clear statement regarding the Oslo accords." "The public is saying clearly today that it supports the prime minister and his policies... along with the message that it is tired of elections every two years - and that's why we need a broad coalition," Likud cabinet minister Limor Livnat said. Yuval Steinitz, a senior Likud member, said: "It is going to be difficult to form a coalition, a solid and stable government." The secretary-general of the Labor Party, Ophir Pines-Paz, admitted that "the peace camp has been humiliated; the burden of proof is now on the right. We will not join Sharon's government. I can only hope that Sharon manages to accomplish in his second tenure what he failed to achieve in his first." By Ha'aretz Service /hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=257102 close window Forwarded for your information. 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