Likud Legal Advisor Kicked Out of Party for Aiding Rival Kadima
Excerpts:
“In a first ever move, the Likud party on Wednesday morning ostracized a senior official for aiding Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s new rival political party.”
“Likud Secretariat Minister Yisrael Katz, who is running for party leadership, on Wednesday morning informed veteran legal advisor Eitan Haberman he was being kicked out of the movement.”
“Haberman was distanced from the party after it became clear he was advising Sharon’s newly-established party.”
“Katz intends to investigate suspicions whether other senior Likud officials have been aiding Sharon. If the suspicions are proven correct, the concerned officials will also be removed from the party.”
Mayors Come to PM’s Gathering, Reserve Decision on New Party
Excerpts:
“Prime Minister Ariel Sharon hosted at his official residence on Tuesday evening a gathering of more than 50 council leaders and mayors, mostly Likud members, in what is viewed as the prime minister’s first flexing of political muscle since forming his new party.”
“Senior Likud officials have accused Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of using illicit means to try and entice local council leaders and mayors to join his new party.”
“Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz harshly criticized Sharon’s initiative on Monday, saying that any mayor who knows how much his city depends on government subsidies will accept the invitation even if he does not support the prime minister.”
“‘This is exactly what they did to the Jews in Portugal,’ Katz said. ‘Between the lines, he is saying that the mayors are either with him or against him. This is a typically cynical maneuver on Sharon’s part.; after all, one cannot blame the mayors.'”
“Katz added that Likud headquarters had received several phone calls from mayors and council heads in recent days who complained they had been subjected to pressure by members of Sharon’s new party and that, in some cases, the prime minister had called them.”
“Sharon’s aides rejected the accusations, saying that anyone who joins Kadima does so on his own volition. ‘The Likud is simply panicking because it is falling apart,’ a party member said.”
Commentary:
As Arik Sharon moves to put heavy heat on Israel’s Mayors to Pledge allegiance to his campaign, the Israeli political scene as the month of November, 2005 ends resembles a Free Agency Market. It’s talent or shall we say, bounty-hunters for hire to the highest bidder, the likes of which would make America’s sports Free Agency look lame by comparison.
Forget Major League Baseball’s rush for “Closers”(the guy to pitch the 8th and or 9th innings and hold a lead) — Wagner $43 Million for 4 years, B.J. Ryan $ 47 Million 5 years, etc.
Hey, get your Ministry here! Sharon bolts Likud and form’s “National Responsibility(sic)”, oops make that Kidima! Peres, Dalia Itzik to Kadima. Shelley Yehimovic joining Labor. Kadima pitching for Education Ministry Director-General Ronit Tirosh. Ramon to Kadima. Olmert to Kadima. NRP Looking for Sephardi Candidate. Yuval Porat, former Political advisor to the Yesha Council, to Defense Minister Sha’ul Mofaz’s campaign. Ben Gurion University President Avishay Braverman joins Labor.
You just know that eventually, we will see the T.O. syndrome [NFL Football player Terrell Owens whose non-stop trash-mouthing of a teammate and team ownership got himself suspended from play for the season and booted from the team] in Israeli politics as it’s inevitable that some of these free agents will take temper tantrums and start trash-mouthing each other as well as their own parties as soon as they don’t get their way.
If you’re looking for personal, moral integrity and real faith-based leadership in Israel’s political scene, there are but two addresses — Moshe Feiglin and his Manhigut Yehudit faction of Likud and Baruch Marzel and his Hazit Party. That’s all she wrote [nekuda!].
In closing, this blog will refrain from playing up polls. Considering that any Israeli poll is designed and commissioned with a leftist slant, and that previous campaigns have proven that the Israeli political scene is fluid and that 4 months in Israel can bring nearly 180 degree swings, the polls are nothing but propaganda exercises such as this one, and mean NOTHING. MB
Shalom: Likud in Crisis, I Can Rehabilitate Party
Excerpts:
“A day after officially launching his run for the Likud leadership, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Wednesday morning that the party was in crisis, and vowed to return it to its former glory.”
“‘The Likud is in crisis, we cannot sweep under the carpet. The question is, who can rehabilitate the Likud, and lead it to victory?’ Shalom said in an interview to Israel Radio. He said that he was convinced that the Likud could win the March elections with him at the helm.”
“Shalom warned that Benjamin Netanyahu, the former Likud prime minister and the front-runner in the leadership contest, would destroy the party.”
“Mayors vow to block Netanyahu
Meanwhile, town mayors and Kadima supporters said in private conversations Tuesday that they would try to stop Netanyahu from being elected as Likud chair. Sharon met with more than 70 mayors and heads of local authorities at his official residence in Jerusalem in the first political gathering since he left the Likud.”
“His supporters want to ensure that Sharon would be able to partner with the Likud. This would be unlikely should Netanyahu win.”
Commentary:
Shalom can rehabilitate Likud — What a laugh! He can’t even rehabilitate himself. Silvan Shalom was a rank incompetent as Finance Minister and has proven to be the same as Foreign Minister. Definitely NOT a leader I could be proud of!! My bet is that he’s a Sharon mole in Likud. Read this again; “His [Sharon’s] supporters want to ensure that Sharon would be able to partner with the Likud.” MB