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Israel's Labor Sets Redlines for Remaining in Government
Israel's leading Labor party said on Monday that it will quit the government if the Israeli army remains in the Palestinian-controlled towns for an extended period of time, or if the government intends to dismantle the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
The left-wing party set the redlines when its Knesset (Parliament) members met to discuss the army's ongoing operations in the six Palestinian West Bank towns and their implications.
The military operations, the largest in scope since the launch of the 1993 Oslo peace process in retaliation for the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi last Wednesday, triggered strong protests from the Labor party members.
Some leading Labor members said that the party should pull out the government if the escalation continues in the Palestinian territories.
Former Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami was among those who strongly called for Labor's resignation from the government. He said at Monday's gathering that the Labor was becoming increasingly irrelevant and that there is little room for maneuver in the government.
Resigning from the government, he said, was vital in saving the party from being consigned to the "political trash can."
Haim Ramon, Knesset member and a senior member of the Labor, said he was convinced that Sharon made up his mind to topple the PNA, although Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer had repeatedly denied the speculation.
Ramon said that it is clear that PNA Chairman Yasser Arafat will not extradite the assassins of Ze'evi, "therefore we will remain there forever."
He was referring to the ultimatum issued by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to Arafat to hand over Ze'evi's killers before the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian towns.
Peres, who is on a trip to the United States, said on Sunday that it was not time yet for the Labor to pull out the government.
Ben Eliezer, also from the Labor, tried to defend the union with Sharon's right-wing Likud party and counter criticism of the army operations at Monday's meeting, saying that there were numerous terror threats from the territories that led the government to decide to send troops there.
Labor Cabinet Minister Dalia Itzik predicted Sunday that the party would leave the government within three months.
In the meantime, Sharon is trying to bring the right-wing National Religious Party into the government in order to bolster the right-wing bloc. If successful, this would allow Sharon to hold onto his parliamentary majority even if the Labor left the coalition.
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