-Caveat Lector- >From http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/3302640.htm
}}}>Begin Posted on Tue, May. 21, 2002 Coalition Crisis Threatens Sharon STEVE WEIZMAN Associated Press Writer JERUSALEM, Israel (AP) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon showed no sign Tuesday of giving in on budget demands by rebellious coalition partners, leaving the Israeli leader with the choice of finding new allies or facing elections. Sharon's broad-based coalition hit a sudden crisis over budget allocations late Monday when two Orthodox Jewish parties refused to support emergency spending cuts. Sharon immediately fired Cabinet ministers from the Shas party and deputy ministers from Shas and United Torah Judaism, putting at risk his majority in the 120-seat parliament, the Knesset. It was the first serious political confrontation since Sharon took office 14 months ago with a "national unity" coalition to confront Palestinian violence. The grouping brought together widely divergent elements in Israeli politics - hawks, doves and Orthodox Jewish factions - and forged a huge majority in the Knesset, or parliament. Expelling the two parties would cut Sharon's hold on parliament to the bare minimum - 60 seats out of the 120. A single additional defection could mean losing a vote of no-confidence, leading to early elections. Shas, with 17 seats, is the third-largest party in parliament after Labor, with 23 seats, and Sharon's Likud with 19. United Torah Judaism has five seats. By law, the dismissal of ministers takes effect 48 hours after notice is delivered, in this case early Thursday, leaving time for last-minute maneuvering. However, there were no signs that Sharon and Shas were heading toward reconciliation. Coalition managers were confident Sharon would still get the austerity package passed and retain a firm grip on power. A new vote on the budget bill was scheduled Wednesday. Sharon aides were looking for new partners. "In the next few days we shall see the formation of a more compact coalition of 62 to 65 members," said coalition chairman Zeev Boim of Likud. Boim said he expected the centrist Shinui party to join, along with some members of the ultranationalist National Union. Shinui refuses to serve in the same government with Shas and United Torah Judaism, rejecting what it sees as unwarranted favorable treatment for their followers. Budget cuts were deemed necessary because of a recession, brought on by the world economic downturn and the effects of nearly 20 months of Mideast violence. The two parties balked at cutbacks in welfare payments and other benefits for low- income Israelis, a key part of their constituencies. � 2001 miamiherald and wire service sources. 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