Channels

Photo: Eli Elgarat
'Likud voters will return to the party.' Mofaz
Photo: Eli Elgarat
Photo: GPO
Warm relations with Mofaz until recently. Sharon
Photo: GPO

Mofaz: Sharon-Oslo connection dangerous

Defense minister says, ‘PM’s alignment with several members of the Left who support Oslo, return to 1967 borders is dangerous

It seems that Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz is finally taking off his gloves in the political battle against his former mentor, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

 

“Sharon’s alignment with several members of the Left who support the Oslo agreement and a return to the 1967 borders is dangerous,” Mofaz, who is running for Likud party leadership, told a crowd of university students in the south.

 

“They (leftists) may lead Sharon to territories that are dangerous from a security and diplomatic standpoint,” he added.

 

“I am certain that the Likud voters will return to the party and its diplomatic, social and security path; it is their national home.”

 

Notably, it was Sharon who appointed Mofaz to the head the Defense Ministry, despite the fact that he was prohibited from running for Knesset due as he had just ended his stint as IDF chief of staff. Relations between the two have been warm ever since, so much so that the PM’s associates initially estimated Mofaz would defect from Likud and join Sharon’s newly-established Kadima party; but the defense minister refused, announcing his candidacy for Likud chairmanship shortly thereafter.

 

A Kadima party official said, “We do not respond to sources from party’s that are in danger of becoming extinct.”

 

Mofaz continued: “I took on the role of defense minister three years ago not because I wanted to work with Arik, but because I wanted to serve the State of Israel.”

 

'Israel must become politically stable'

 

“We created a relationship based on similar security-related beliefs, but I think he (Sharon) made a big mistake when he left Likud.

 

“Dalia Itzik, Haim Ramon and Shimon Peres are putting the Oslo label on the Kadima party, and I am opposed to Oslo. I believe it caused great damage to Israel.

 

As to the recent polls indicating Likud’s possible collapse in the upcoming elections, the defense minister said, “The polls are temporary; in Israel, four months is a long time, and once the race for Likud leadership is concluded, the balance between the mandates (Knesset seats) and the parties’ political power will change significantly.

 

“Israel must become politically stable in order to achieve its goals. The country is 57-years-old, and we have had 30 governments to date. I disagree with the fact that this government was not allowed to run its course, because if we agree on the issue of political stability, this government should have been permitted to complete its term.

 

Mofaz also addressed the Iranian threat and the successful test of the Arrow anti-missile system, saying, “At this stage we do not plan on using the Arrow; the way to deal with the Iranian threat is through diplomatic channels, by telling the Security Council: ‘Impose sanctions and supervise all of Iran’s nuclear sites’.

 

“Should Iran develop (uranium) enrichment capabilities, and we estimate this won’t take more than a few months, they may pose a threat to the entire Western world.”

 

Earlier Likud activists called on temporary party leader Tzahi Hanegbi to forward the primaries to stop the decline in the popularity of the party since Sharon’s departure.

 

“We demand the primaries be held next week,” a Likud activist told Ynet.

 

 

Attila Somfalvi, Ronny Sofer contributed to the report

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.02.05, 18:25
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment