Israel's Labour quits coalition amid upheaval

20 Nov 2005
Tali Caspi

TEL AVIV, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Israel's Labour party voted on Sunday to quit Ariel Sharon's coalition ahead of early elections as the prime minister weighed abandoning his own Likud in a move that could remake Israeli politics and peacemaking.

Leftist Labour's central committee, encouraged by fiery new leader Amir Peretz, voted overwhelmingly to leave the government it had joined to help Sharon counter rightist Likud rebels who opposed his withdrawal from the occupied Gaza Strip.

"Let the revolution begin," said party official Eitan Cabel as he announced the result of the vote in a show of hands.

The withdrawal of the Labour party was the expected first step in a week that could reshape Israeli politics, thrown into turmoil since union leader Peretz defeated veteran peacemaker Shimon Peres in a surprise leadership vote.

Israel Radio said Labour cabinet members were likely to hand in resignation letters on Monday. They are already written.

The big question now is whether Sharon will leave Likud to form a new centrist alliance that could allow him to pursue his plans for ending conflict with the Palestinians without having to battle Likud opponents over giving up West Bank land.

But the gamble would be among the biggest of a military and political career of high-stakes risk taking. Polls indicate 77-year-old Sharon would be uncertain of winning elections, now expected in February or March, with a new party.

"He is liable to set in motion a political migration on a scale that the Israeli political map hasn't witnessed since the State of Israel was founded," wrote Shimon Shiffer in the best-selling Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

Confidants said they believed Sharon was leaning towards leaving Likud, a party which he helped co-found and long championed the settlement of land captured in the 1967 war, territory that Palestinians want for a state.

An announcement was possible on Monday, when Sharon was due to meet Likud members of parliament, aides said.

Anticipating that Sharon would bolt and cause a leadership challenge, some Likud ministers suggested they would be ready to stand against Sharon's old rival Benjamin Netanyahu, who resigned as finance minister to oppose the Gaza pullout.

One of Sharon's closest allies, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, met Likud members of parliament to discuss forming a new party.

SPECULATION MOUNTS

Adding to speculation that he was planning to break away, Sharon made comments that appeared to be aimed at wooing ousted Labour leader Peres -- the old coalition partner was notably absent as the party voted to leave the government.

Sharon agreed last week with Peretz to hold elections between late February and the end of March.

A provisional election date is due to be agreed by Wednesday ahead of a debate in parliament to set in motion the process of holding an early vote. One member of the team discussing a date acceptable to all parties said March 28 looked likely.

Peretz stands on a platform of rolling back spending cuts and free-market reforms as well as withdrawing from West Bank settlements and talking peace with the Palestinians as soon as possible.

"I intend to march Israel forward where social justice and peace will go together," said Peretz. At the same time he vowed that "the war on terror will be without compromise."

While ready to go further than many in Likud in giving up land, Sharon aims to keep major West Bank settlements and has ruled out talks on statehood unless Palestinians disarm militants waging an uprising.

Palestinians fear Sharon aims to unilaterally set a border along the lines of a barrier being built deep inside the West Bank. Israel says the barrier stops suicide bombers. Palestinians call it a land grab.

Recent polls suggest a Sharon-led Likud would beat Labour. At the head of a new party, bringing in some Labour members, Sharon would be neck-and-neck with Peretz. Likud would then be pushed into third place. (Additional reporting by Corinne Heller in Jerusalem)