Israel, the uphill road for the Sharon government

JERUSALEM– It is an uphill road, the one that Ariel Sharon is trying to follow. Less than three days after the electoral triumph, the Israeli prime minister in pectore is facing the predictable difficulties of forming a new government. The first hypothesis, that of a national unity executive holding the Likud right and the Labor left, seems to be moving away. In the morning, in fact, Sharon had met former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, offering him the post of Minister of Defense. But it seems that Barak declined the proposal. At least for now.
First of all, Barak preferred to meet the leaders of his party, in which, among other things, a very hard internal battle is taking place. The former prime minister is indeed under accusation for the electoral defeat. And its legitimacy to deal with the entry of Labor into the executive (which is also a hypothesis that the party takes into consideration) is questioned by numerous leading figures. According to Sharon’s proposal, the Ministry of Finance and the Foreign Ministry should also be on the left. But so far there has been no openness to the Likud leader’s offers.
Uncertainly, every hypothesis of resumption of negotiations has completely stalled, despite today’s long phone call between Sharon and the president of the Palestinian National Authority Yasser Arafat. Indeed, today Barak himself – in a letter sent to the Palestinian leader – made it clear that all the Israeli proposals made at Camp David in July 2000, in Washington in December 2000 and in Taba in January 2001 are considered “fallen” and not binding for the new Prime Minister Sharon.
The times for the formation of the government, which will have to find a majority in an unpredictable and fragmented Knesset, are still long. But not infinite. Sharon has 45 days from the election date to gain the confidence of the parliamentary assembly. And if he does not succeed, a new phase of uncertainty would open up for Israel, which would only be resolved with new elections.

(February 9, 2001)