Sharon to Decide This Weekend Whether He Will Quit the Likud
Yedioth Ahronoth Poll: 28 Seats to Sharon Party
Aaron Lerner’s Commentary: For Democracy’s Sake – A Breakaway Sharon Party
Excerpts:
“In the coming days Ariel Sharon is expected … to present what are ostensibly his plans for the future.”
“That’s ‘ostensibly’ because when he did this before the last elections and asked for the public’s support he then turned around and did virtually the exact opposite.”
“No matter how many times his apologists may claim that when Sharon said he was willing to make “painful concessions for peace” before the last elections that this phrase also covered the retreat from the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria, the fact remains that a key element of that campaign was Sharon’s sharp criticism and rejection of Labor Party candidate Mitzna’s proposal to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza.
“That’s ‘ostensibly’ because the positions Mr. Sharon has presented since he revealed his intention to retreat have been in constant flux.”
“The situation has deteriorated to the point that almost any Israeli
concession is conceivable.”
“Is this really what the Israeli public wants?”
“If Ariel Sharon opts to run on a separate ticket we will finally know – for better or worse – if the electorate accepts Sharon’s policies (or lack of policies) as the then rival Likud Party will highlight, rather than attempt to suppress, this issue in the campaign.”
Baruch Marzel on the Chayil Party and Real Unity
Excerpts;
“Chayil stands for Chazit Yehudit Leumit, meaning the Jewish National Front. Youngsters bearing the movement’s logo could be seen participating in civil disobedience during the expulsion of Jews from Gaza and northern Samaria and bumper stickers with messages such as, ‘In War We Shall Win’ can be seen bearing the movement’s logo.”
“‘Listen, it is time for truth. Sunday is the anniversary of the murder of my rebbe (teacher), Rabbi Meir Kahane, of righteous and blessed memory, may his blood be avenged. He stood up and spoke about the demographic problem of the Arabs in Israel for twenty years, saying, ‘This is our problem that we have to face – if we don’t deal with this force that wants to destroy the Jewish people, then we not only won’t be able to live in Judea and Samaria, but we won’t have a Jewish State at all.’ And the right-wing parties laughed at him and didn’t want to deal with it. And we see that because of that problem Jews are no longer living in Gush Katif and because of that problem, Jews will no longer live in Judea and Samaria.'”
” … ‘We cannot decide that we can give up one inch of the Land of Israel and we also cannot decide that we will sit with the Shinui Party. We must remember that the National Religious Party and the National Union – two of the religious parties – sat with the religious-hatred party Shinui and destroyed all the religious institutions in Israel. This government worked on the Sabbath more than any other government and closed down all the religious institutions in the countries. We have to know that if we want unity, we must also unite with the ultra-orthodox groups in Israel. We cannot think that we are closer with people who have hatred for religion than with people who simply dress differently than us.'”
“At a news conference last week, the merger of the Chayil Party and Professor Paul Eidelberg’s Yamin Yisrael Party was announced. Marzel says that he is not so committed to pure ideology that he is against teaming up with those of differing opinions, but says the National Union’s willingness to sit in Sharon’s government and take in MK Zevulun Orlev of the NRP to its ranks crosses a line in the sand. ‘We don’t all stand for exactly the same thing, but there are red lines. When someone tells us that he is ready to give away even a little of the land – this is something I cannot join, because this is against Torah, a disgrace of the name of G-d and something I would rather sit home and not participate in.'”
Hareidi Legislators Seeking to Close Ranks Ahead of Election
And what about a Coalition with Marzel and Chayil party??? Or will you tear down their Parlor Party signs, their campaign signs and their blank ballots again, like you did in the last election??? MB
Peretz bludgeon’s all the Ministers to resign, For Peres: “The Agony of Defeat,” For Sharon, the most expedient scheme spin. MB
Central Elections Commission Seeks NIS 190m to Prepare for Poll