 |
Israeli Minister Denies Challenging Barak's Party leadership
Israeli Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami emphasized Thursday morning he has no intention of running against Prime Minister Ehud Barak for the leadership of Labor party.
Ben-Ami, a leading dovish politician, said in an Israel Radio interview that he has no doubt that Barak will lead the party in the next elections, even if he does not succeed in reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
The prime minister has created many political rivals in the process of advancing peace in the Middle East.
Three right-wing parties in his coalition resigned from his government ahead of the Camp David peace summit last month, due to his readiness to go to the summit.
To Barak's deep disappointment, the summit with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and US President Bill Clinton failed to resolve core issues between Israel and the Palestinians after 15-day-long negotiations.
Moreover, Foreign Minister David Levy, who argued that Israel made too many compromises at Camp David, also submitted his resignation letter Wednesday, which made Barak's control in the Knesset (Parliament) further shrink to 40 seats, one third of the total 120 members.
Israeli media reported Thursday morning that even in Barak's own Labor party, there is also growing critical attitude toward his handling with the peace process and domestic political issues.
It is reported that at a Wednesday evening meeting of Barak's One Israel faction, in which the Labor party is the backbone, Barak and Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg were entangled in a venomous exchange.
Some figures in the party even raised the possibility of ousting Barak as the party's leader. Ben-Ami and Burg are two promising candidates, according to these figures, to replace Barak.
However, Ben-Ami said Thursday he will not challenge Barak's party leadership at such a critical time for fighting for Israel's security and national interests.
He reiterated he will keep working to advance the peace process with full coordination with the prime minister.
There is room for criticism within the party, Ben-Ami said, but at this time, stability within the government is needed.
Communications Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer also told Israel Radio Thursday morning that in his opinion, no one in the Labor party will dare to challenge Barak's authority as long as the prime minister is committed to the peace process.
Asked whether he would like to succeed Levy as Israel's new foreign minister, Ben-Ami replied the portfolio is a very important job, but it is up to Barak himself to decide who will be the next foreign minister. If he is appointed, Ben-Ami added, he will carry out the job faithfully.
Excluding the foreign ministry, there are other 10 ministerial posts vacated by the resignation of Shas, National Religious Party and Yisrael Ba'aliya ministers, and the resignation of former Transport Minister Yitzhak Mordechai, who was involved in a sexual scandal and is waiting for trial.
Ben Eliezer said Barak had set up teams on Sunday to negotiate with various parties to explore the possibility of re-organizing a solid coalition.
Yossi Kucik, the director-general of Barak's Office, revealed Thursday that Barak might name a batch of ministers to fill the vacuum as early as next week.
In a related development, the major opposition Likud party leader Ariel Sharon repeated Thursday that he will not form a national unity government with Barak.
Levy and Yisrael Ba'aliya party leader Natan Sharansky had promoted the establishment of such a government in the past few weeks.
In This Section
|