Likud presents united front
Ruling party decides to unite in face of Labor party leader Amir Peretz’ ‘radical plans’; earlier, Likud ‘rebel’ Uzi Landau vows to back Prime Minister Sharon should he be reelected as Likud chairman
United front: The Likud faction has decided Wednesday to “unite in the face of (Labor party leader) Amir Peretz’s radical plans, which jeopardize Israel’s security and economy.”
Peretz’s election as Labor chairman has shaken up the ruling party, with Likud members concerned that Peretz’s focus on social causes could draw traditional Likud voters.
Toppling the unity government currently in power is an “irresponsible political move by the Labor party and its leader,” the Likud said in a statement, as it prepares to present a united front to counter the Peretz threat.
PM Sharon at Likud meeting (Photo: Reuters)
Will Sharon bolt Likud?
Meanwhile, Sharon refused to comment on whether he plans to remain in the Likud and did not say when elections would be held.
"Let’s not lie to ourselves, no one changed their minds due to this meeting," he said.
MK Michael Eitan expressed his surprise Sharon’s refusal to commit himself to staying in the Likud.
"We are standing before elections, but there is a paradoxical situation here because it is not clear whether the chairman will stay in the Likud," he said.
"He needs to say what his plans are. I'd prefer us to run together and maintain the peace, but if someone plans on leaving it's better to do it out in the open. Divorce can also be a respectable process," he added.
Earlier, leading Likud “rebel” Uzi Landau said the entire Likud faction would unite behind Prime Minister Ariel Sharon should he be reelected as the ruling party’s chairman.
“The opponent Peretz must unite all of us behind leadership that would be elected based on ideology,” Landau said. “Peretz presents before us a leftist message.”
At the same time, Landau stressed that he would be running in the upcoming Likud primaries.
Likud “rebel” Ehud Yatom also reiterated the message and said the ruling party must unite at this time, noting Peretz’s “radical leftist policy” would push the Likud to victory.
“We must unite in the face of elections while maintaining the Likud’s ideology and values of the movement,” he said. Meanwhile, leading “rebel” Michael Ratzon also expressed a desire to “unite within the movement.”
Sources close to Prime Minister Sharon told Ynet Tuesday the meeting Wednesday was expected to be characterized by growing unity within the ruling party’s ranks.
Likud prefers May elections
Peretz and Opposition Chairman Yosef Lapid (Shinui) decided Tuesday to suggest March 7 as an agreed early election date. However, sources in the Likud said that the MKs and ministers prefer to hold the elections in May in order to wear Peretz out.
The fear within Likud is that Peretz may benefit from the current momentum, and therefore, if the elections are held later on, Peretz will be worn out and lose much of his current strength.
In the past few days, various sources in the Likud, both Sharon supporters and objectors, have made efforts to unite the party and enter the elections campaign united. A number of suggestions have also been raised to cancel the party's primaries.
But just hours after the Likud meeting at the Knesset convened in a pleasant atmosphere of reconciliation, sources close to Sharon presented a much less placated attitude.
"The party's meeting was obviously a charade," a Sharon associate has told Ynet Wednesday. "The 'rebels' need Sharon at the moment to get them into the Knesset, but they will not support him when the moment of truth comes," he added.
"Sharon will bring the Likud 35 or 40 mandates and get these people into parliament, but when the prime minister will need them to stand by his side at moments of important political moves, they will not be there. You have seen how they talk and how they look," he said.
The prime minister's associates also claim that Sharon has not yet decided on his future political path.
"Sharon has not yet decided whether to quit the Likud or run for party leadership. This contemplation is difficult, but the time to decide draws near. The prime minister will have to choose between one of two options: the first s to stay in the Likud, the second to leave and form a new party," a source close to the PM explained.
"The way things appear today, the Likud constitutes a complex and difficult choice. It is quite possible that a new party is in the making," he added.
In the meantime, it is unclear whether these attempts will succeed, since they include offers to reserve the second place for Benjamin Netanyahu – and perhaps the third place for Uzi Landau.
On Thursday, Sharon is expected to meet with Peretz, as well as with opposition leader Lapid.
Sharon's aides have heard Lapid stating that he would not enter the government in order to replace Labor. Nevertheless, they will try and examine the possibility of future cooperation between the Likud and Shinui, in light of the fact that Shinui does not intend to vote against the government in a no-confidence vote.
Meanwhile, the Likud secretariat, headed by Minister Yisrael Katz, is expected to convene Thursday afternoon in order to discuss the Likud's preparation for early elections.
