Israel's Sharon Faces First Cabinet Crisis

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is facing his first cabinet crisis since his national unity government took office last March as two of his ministers decided to boycott cabinet meetings.

Although the two, Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi and National Infrastructure Minister Avigdo Lieberman, said on Thursday that they would not leave the government immediately, the boycott decision is still a severe blow to Sharon's dream to glue the left and the right together in his government.

Ze'evi and Lieberman both belong to the far-right party National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu, which has seven seats in the 120-member Knesset (parliament).

Their decision was made after Wednesday's security cabinet meeting, in which the left-wing and right-wing ministers engaged in stormy debate.

The security cabinet finally decided to continue the ceasefire with the Palestinians, which infuriated the right-wing politicians.

Israel and the Palestinians have been in bloody clashes for nine months, during which more than 600, most of them Palestinians, have been killed.

A ceasefire took effect on June 13 between Israel and the Palestinians, following mediation by U.S. Central Intelligence Agency chief George Tenet, but violence is still raging.

Ze'evi and Lieberman are the most vocal right-wing ministers, who urged Sharon to "end the policy of restraint and strengthen the Jewish settlements" in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Their stands collide with those of the left wing, represented by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres from the Labor party, who has urged the government to continue refraining from launching military attacks against the Palestinians and evacuate at least illegal Jewish settler outposts, established since the election victory of Sharon in February.

The Labor party has said that it would welcome withdrawal of the right-wing politicians from the cabinet, a move which analysts say would strengthens Peres' position in the cabinet and his relationship with Sharon.

"From our point of view, the sooner Lieberman and Gandhi (Ze'evi) go home, the better," said Labor officials.






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