Labor: Contacts with Lieberman – media spin

Senior officials in the Labor party and close associates of party chairman Defense Minister Amir Peretz, wrote off the recent Olmert-Lieberman meeting "media spin" Sunday evening. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Israel Our Home Chairman Avigdor Lieberman met Friday, and agreed to promote a change in Israel's system of government and the drafting of a constitution.

"This step has no coalition practicability. Therefore, we

are not dealing with it or flustered by it at all," added Peretz's associates in reference to the possibility that the agreement could signify a step towards joining the coalition for Lieberman's Israel Our Home party.

Following the said meeting with Lieberman, Olmert updated Peretz on its results. Peretz associates responded, "It is Olmert's right to meet with whomever he wants."

And what about the possibility that there may be a presidential system in Israel? Lieberman perhaps supports it, perhaps Olmert too, but at least one of the senior ministers in Kadima is against the initiative. Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Sunday evening that a presidential system in Israel would be an "error."

Peres elaborated that he is opposed to this kind of system, and said, "You can only switch to this kind of regime in a country with only two political parties. Otherwise, we will witness unending haggling over the coalition."

'Boarding a sinking ship' 

Peres made the comments after the weekend’s political storm, when news of the Olmert-Lieberman meeting was revealed. The two came to the agreement that starting from the opening of the Knesset winter session, their two parties, Kadima and Israel Our Home, would advance legislation towards changed to systems of government and lawmaking in Israel. Among politicians, the assessment was the agreement, announced officially by the Prime Minister’s Office, signified a step towards Israel Our Home joining the coalition.

Similar to Peretz’s associates, Peres also expressed doubt that Israel Our Home would end up joining the coalition, since such a move might lead Labor to quit the government and would aggravate internal frictions within the coalition.

However, Olmert associates asserted, "If what was agreed upon had significance for the coalition, we would be happy to report it. As of now, there is no structural change to the coalition. Nothing has yet to be agreed upon between the prime minister and the Israel Our Home chairman."

And what does the Likud say? MK Yisrael Katz, who hosted a convention of Likud activists at his home in Moshav Kfar Ahim, said: "I suggest to Avigdor Lieberman not to jump on a sinking ship, with no captain, no rudder and no direction."

"Generally, when a ship is sinking, you want to drop weight, not add it," he continued.