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Barak, Sharon Said to Prepare to Form Emergency Government
Shinui Party leader Yosef Lapid said here Tuesday that Prime Minister Ehud Barak and opposition Likud Party Chairman Ariel Sharon have agreed to accept his plan of forming an emergency government.
Lapid said, however, that both Barak and Sharon still had certain reservations about his six-point plan and that they would meet to discuss the issue only after Tuesday's vote in the parliament on the opposition-sponsored bills to dissolve the Knesset and hold a new election.
Under Lapid's plan, no changes would be made to Israel's borders, the borders of territories held by the Israel Defense Forces, or the status quo in Jerusalem, unless Sharon agrees to make the changes.
Moreover, a pre-condition for resuming negotiations with the Palestinians is to end the violence. In the meanwhile, the government will not strive for a permanent agreement with the Palestinians, but rather a long-term interim agreements, which would leave most of the strategic assets in the hands of Israel.
Sharon should act as first deputy to the prime minister and as a senior minister, either in the foreign or defense ministry. All the issues concerning Israel's defense and international relations would be discussed by a cabinet made up by two Likud representatives, two One Israel representatives and the heads of the coalition factions.
Cabinet decisions would be binding, but the prime minister could appeal against them before the Knesset (parliament) plenum.
Meretz party leader Yossi Sarid and knesset member of the Center Party Uri Savir have rejected Lapid's plan.
Sarid told Israel Radio Tuesday that the plan endangers Israel's security and will lead to the collapse of the peace process, and will not be accepted by the peace camp in Israel.
Since the outbreak of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict late September, Barak has been trying to form an emergency government with Sharon, but failed.
During their past several meetings, Sharon insisted that Barak must forget the Camp David peace summit held last July and Israel can not hold peace talks with the Palestinians on the basis of the summit.
Within Barak's One Israel, Justice Minister Yossi Beilin strongly opposes the formation of such an emergency government with Sharon, saying that he will leave the government if Barak agrees to do so.
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