Sharon, Barak Agree to Unity Government

Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon and Ehud Barak agreed on formation of a unity government Thursday, with Barak's party saying it will get the top posts: the foreign and defense ministries. Barak will be defense minister and elder statesman Shimon Peres foreign minister in a unity government headed by Sharon, Labor Party secretary Raanan Cohen said.

Sharon and Barak met for two hours Thursday and Barak ¡ª who was resoundingly defeated by Sharon only last week ¡ª accepted Sharon's offer of the top Cabinet post, Cohen said.

"With the appointment of Ehud Barak on the one hand and Shimon Peres on the other, this will be a government which will determine all the diplomatic policy," Cohen told Israel television.

Barak's office said that a decision was made to set up a unity government with details to be worked out.








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