Landslide Victory – Now What?

[NewsGuy]

Landslide Victory – Now What?
IsraelForum.com original analysis

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The champagne bottles were uncorked, and the celebrations were in full swing at Likud headquarters, as the results of Israel's general election revealed a landslide victory for Ariel Sharon's party. More than just a show of solid support for the Likud's strategy of requiring an end to Palestinian terrorism before a political process can be resumed, Israeli society also made another important statement. The extreme Leftist parties were roundly rejected in a loss equally as stunning as the extent of Sharon's victory.

Egypt's New Respect for Sharon

Indeed, Ariel Sharon and the Israeli public may be exactly correct in their assessment that force is the only value truly understood and respected in the Arab world. Already, Likud's landslide victory has sent a clear message to Egypt's Hosni Mubarak.

[..]

The Egyptian quickly called Ariel Sharon to congratulate the Israeli leader on his victory. During the surprising phone call, Mubarak all of a sudden expressed a keen interest in "increased" dialogue between Egypt and Israel, and a personal meeting between the two leaders was scheduled. This turn of events marks a sharp departure from Egypt's prior enemy-like behavior.

In an effort to explain Egypt's sudden change of heart to the Arab world, the Al-Itihad newspaper in the United Arab Emirates quoted Mubarak as saying "Silence is not useful any more." In reality, though, Mubarak now realizes that Sharon – and Israel -- is a force to be reckoned with, and not a temporary nuisance, as the terror-supporting Arab regimes of the Middle East had previously hoped.

Coalition Cat-Fight

But moving beyond the Likud's victory to form a stable coalition may not be quite so easy for Sharon. It is a long, arduous process that will require making some difficult choices that will reflect the domestic and foreign agenda of the new government coalition.

There are, therefore, only three viable candidates for a stable coalition, Labor, Shinui and Shas. Sharon may be able to squeak by with picking one, but most likely, he will be forced to include two of the three in his government. Unfortunately, this will be prove to be a Herculean task.

Shinui, the rising star of Israeli politics, is headed by Tommy Lapid, a former journalist who built his party's platform mostly on resistance to the demands of the Religious parties. For this reason, Shinui is diametrically opposed to a partnership with Shas, the party which represents Orthodox Jews of Middle Eastern descent.

[...]

Sharon, then, is left with two other alternatives. The most obvious is to join forces with Shinui and Labor. The problem here, though, is that Labor, headed by Amram Mitzana, has decided it prefers remain as an opposition party, rather to join a coalition with Likud.

[...]

Splitting Labor

But not all hope is lost for forming a coalition with Labor and Shinui. Sharon has been weighing a second alternative. Already, Sharon's trusted emissary, Dov Weisglass, has been hard at work drafting an Israeli Roadmap for peace in cooperation with none other than labor's Shimon Peres. The Israeli initiative is intended to counter that of the Mideast Quartet, but it also serves another domestic purpose, which is to lay the groundwork for a possible split in Labor, whereby some Labor ministers would break ranks with Mitzna, and join a Likud-led coalition government with Shinui.

[...]

Whichever path Ariel Sharon chooses to take will be fraught with political danger. To a great extent, the next Israeli government will be at the mercy of coalition partners with divergent ideologies. As in the past, Israel's liberal parliamentary system will continue to ensure that every government will be precariously susceptible to being brought down by a no-confidence vote.

More than ever, Israel is in dire need of electoral reform so that its democratically elected government can stay in place at least long enough to give its policies a chance of being implemented, before reshuffling its base of support every year or two, as is the case right now.

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Read the Full Story at: http://www.israelforum.com/dynamix/page.pl?sn=130

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What do you think about the Israeli elections? About Ariel Sharon's dilemma?

[Miriam]

Originally posted by NewsGuy

What do you think about the Israeli elections?

1. Hopefully this time without Peres as FM :eek:
2. Pity Sharansky got so few votes
3. Mubarak - Israel's neighbors are proficient in political cat-and-mouse games. I wouldn't attribute too much to this act.

[NewsGuy]

Originally posted by Miriam
1. Hopefully this time without Peres as FM :eek:
2. Pity Sharansky got so few votes
3. Mubarak - Israel's neighbors are proficient in political cat-and-mouse games. I wouldn't attribute too much to this act.

#1. Agreed.

#2. I wonder if Yisrael B'Aliyah is sliding so much as a reflection of the Russian immigrants' full integration into Israeli society. Maybe they no longer feel that their needs are quite so unique, and that they really share much more with all Israelis than ever before.

#3. Well, this is a major turnaround in Mubarak's attitude towards Sharon and towards Israel. It's possible that in the end, it will all amount to nothing, but still, this is a new attitude from Mubarak, who absolutely despises Sharon.


And, btw -

I forgot to mention that one of the major bonuses of the elections is the humiliating defeat suffered by radical Leftist party, Meretz, prompting Yossi Sarid to resign.

I sure do hope that he disappears from Israeli politics altogether, realizing just how marginal the extremist Left and Sarid's ideas have become.

[Miriam]

Originally posted by NewsGuy

#2. I wonder if Yisrael B'Aliyah is sliding so much as a reflection of the Russian immigrants' full integration into Israeli society. Maybe they no longer feel that their needs are quite so unique, and that they really share much more with all Israelis than ever before. Looks like it. The integration is far from full, of course, but it advances at a good speed. Most of the Russian immigrants I know are either Shinui or absolute right-wing voters ;)

However, Sharansky is AFAIK the only Israeli politicians to come up with a sensible plan on dealing with the Palestinians. Maybe he'll manage to integrate his party in the Israeli political mainstream one day?

#3. Well, this is a major turnaround in Mubarak's attitude towards Sharon and towards Israel. It's possible that in the end, it will all amount to nothing, but still, this is a new attitude from Mubarak, who absolutely despises Sharon. A politician like Mubarak knows well to conceal his personal attitudes behind rhetorics. Next step: look, Mubarak has been so nice to Sharon, and still no changes in Israeli policies...

[Mediocrates]

Sharansky has resigned from the Knesset to work on his party's message. I'm not sure what that means but you're right. He has a plan and can talk about it. I hope he stays out in view.


.....
Now the religious parties in the coalition that Likud is going to force literally hates Shinui with a visceral blazing fury. So how is that going to work?

[NewsGuy]

Originally posted by Mediocrates
Now the religious parties in the coalition that Likud is going to force literally hates Shinui with a visceral blazing fury. So how is that going to work?

Oh, yeah. Tommy Lapid is like the Jewish anti-christ in the eyes of the religious parties.

Of course, they're right to think so, considering that his life's goal is to reverse all the gains that Shas and Mafdal have made in the last several decades.

I would be very surprised if we'll see a coalition with the religious parties and Shinui.

[alexbmn]

there will be new elections again.Sharik is obsessed with his Pal state.

[Miriam]

Originally posted by Mediocrates

Sharansky has resigned from the Knesset to work on his party's message. I'm not sure what that means but you're right. He has a plan and can talk about it. I hope he stays out in view.Maybe they'll join forces with some mainstream party in the future? It seems, however, that the main thrust of his party at domestic level are not Palestinian issues but immigrants' problems. His plans re. the Palestinians were hardly if ever discussed in the Russian-language media.
Now the religious parties in the coalition that Likud is going to force literally hates Shinui with a visceral blazing fury. So how is that going to work?I'm not good at arithmetics, but isn't one of the options is a secular-only coalition?

[Miriam]

Re-reading it:

Originally posted by NewsGuy


Already, Sharon's trusted emissary, Dov Weisglass, has been hard at work drafting an Israeli Roadmap for peace in cooperation with none other than labor's Shimon Peres. This gives me creeps.

I forgot to mention that one of the major bonuses of the elections is the humiliating defeat suffered by radical Leftist party, Meretz, prompting Yossi Sarid to resign.

I sure do hope that he disappears from Israeli politics altogether, realizing just how marginal the extremist Left and Sarid's ideas have become.Not a statement about this or other person, but every Western democracy needs a left wing, whether or not one approves of it - a kind of hygienic function ;)

[Moskal']

Avoda is the left wing, while Likud becomes centre under Sharon. It is remarkable that Lieberman's party got quite few seats.

[strategist]

Now what? Destruction of Israel brought forward to 2020.



It is remarkable that Lieberman's party got quite few seats.


It is a miracle, you mean.



I'm not good at arithmetics, but isn't one of the options is a secular-only coalition?


I am 'praying' that this is the outcome.

1. The secular majority of Israelis need to reassert themselves.

2. With a coalition of only three parties, real reform is possible (no small irrelevant parties to block it).

3. I would be overjoyed to see Shas and other orthodox parties squirming.

[Haifa]

Landslide Victory – Now What?

More killing.

[Mediocrates]

Arafat in power since....forever. Bloodshed.

[Micah]

I'd like to understand what the religious parties like Shas do to deserve such resentment on the part of so many people.

[Communication]

Originally posted by Micah
I'd like to understand what the religious parties like Shas do to deserve such resentment on the part of so many people.

1. Military exemptions for the yeshiva students. (But then the religious people do things that other people don't in Israel (like take care of the dead and volunteer to assist with the aftermath at the locations of terrorist attacks.)

2. Child allowances and they tend to have the largest families.

3. Many (most???) support the settlements in Judea and Sumaria.

4. The usual secular/religious enmity, which tends to be worse in areas where the religious people want to use the legal machinery to impose laws against breaking the Sabbath and the like.

what else???

[strategist]

Military exemptions for the yeshiva students.


This significantly understates the problem. About 10% of the draft in any given year refuses to serve due to studies in a yeshiva. It is extremely hard to explain to the secular soldiers why they should serve when perfectly good soldiers are "saving the state" through prayer, especially considering the massive payments made to large orthodox families, which comes from the tax payments of the secular.



But then the religious people do things that other people don't in Israel (like take care of the dead and volunteer to assist with the aftermath at the locations of terrorist attacks.)


Only a very small proportion of the orthodox participate in hevra kadisha. I would also dispute that their work is more important than the (mostly secular) doctors, medics, firefighters, bomb disposal units, etc. The haredim mostly look after themselves and don't give a damn about the rest of the country.

[Mediocrates]

I don't quibble that this is some kind of irresolute societal issue but every place has a community of non participants. So what's the fix? Do this mental experiment. What if instead of Haredi they were incarcerated criminals. And the state had to maintain them in jail? Then what?

[strategist]

Put it like this, haredim go on getting welfare for years and years on end.

Secular unemployed lose their welfare benefits after 12 months.

This is extremely ironic considering that the haredim never do work, never look forwork, and never pay taxes, which is not the case for the rest of the population.

[Mediocrates]

Again it really speaks to electoral reform. It's cart before the horse to simply say you're going to gradually do away with that social saftey net since they would simply elect someone to reverse that. The challenge is to (generally) consider the minority opinion yet be mindful that you may have to ignore it or temper it. The problem with pure Parliamentary electoral rules is that no one is ever compelled to negotiate. That's a huge problem. If you (they) could elect by ward or district then the effect of the minor parties would be greatly reduced. It would be interesting to see the Shas-religious parties join forces with the Arab lists to fight that. I think in the end you would wind up with a more coherent polity and better long range planning.

[Communication]

What I would like to see is an alternative mandatory program for all those who do not have to serve in the military to engage in a 2 or 3 year program of environmental and community service for Israel.

[Mediocrates]

A broadened definition of national service...what say the Sabras here, would it work or would the haredi refuse to do that too?

[wellofvow]

Hi Mediocrates and all.

Why are the haredim and ultra-religious disliked in Israel? Good question, many answers, no really good solutions.

1) Army exemption is abused. The National Religious Party has a program called “hesder” where boys, after high school graduation, study for a period of time in yeshivot, and then do regular Army service. My neighbor’s 5 boys all did this. Nachshon Wachsman did this. Thus, the haredim who refuse this program are seen as cowards and users. They benefit from others who put their lives on the line to protect them.

Someone mentioned the haredim who work with Magen David Adom / Chevre Kadisha after terrorist hits, road accidents, etc. These are a tiny, tiny fraction of the population of ultra-religious. Insignificant.

2) Many, perhaps even most, haredim do no work, pay no taxes, but have huge families and live off welfare. This is a tremendous financial drain on the country. Everyone who does work wants to know why his taxes are supporting these parasites. And when I say huge, I am talking of a family typically having 14 children. Many have even more.


3) Israelis do not understand how it is acceptable to the ultra-religious to spend their Shabbat afternoons stoning cars which are “violating” the Shabbat. The ultra-religious should be resting or studying on Shabbat, not trying to kill people who choose not to observe Shabbat.

4) I am very dubious about the proposal for “National Service” for haredi males instead of the army. Number one, there is the “hesder” option as above.

Number two, “National Service” for religious **girls** has been in place for many years. “National Service” places these girls in jobs, and at the end of two years, they are not only in place to continue their employment for a salary, having been fully trained, but also have ALL the same benefits as a girl who has done army service. These benefits are considerable, ranging from preferential university admission and university scholarships to Bituach Leumi (our Social Security) benefits. I have worked with many of these girls when I worked in the local hospital, so have first-hand experience.

The rub is that girls (like my daughter) who do regular army service in the army do NOT work an 8 to 4 job, are under army discipline, have to take their turn working holidays, etc., while the National Service girls have no such obligations. For example, army girls have to choose which of the High Holidays to be at home, while the National Service girls get all of them off. They get off the whole week of Succot and Pesach, and all the minor holidays also. If a National Service girl does not show up at work, she is not disciplined (punished) as would a girl soldier be if she were AWOL.

Many of the girls really are religious, and their devotion to their jobs during National Service is quite real and a true donation to the State. However, I and others like me, resent the girls who claim to be too religious to go into the army, and so do National Service and get all the benefits. The minute that they are finished with National Service, off come the long modest skirts and blouses, and they show up in tight jeans and cleavage down to there. This abuse is resented. My daughter was in a combat unit, and further, was a target every time she donned her uniform.

I admit to being biased, but basing my feelings on my longtime residence in Israel, I am positive that the ultra-religious males will take advantage of National Service if it were to be offered to them. There is nothing in this system as it is now to prevent them from going "AWOL" and not being punished for it. And they will end up with the same advantages given to a boy from a combat unit who has put his life on the line.

5) Israelis resent the control over their lives granted by the State to the ultra-religious. Example: Thank goodness that there is a Conservative cemetery where we live, and that we are longtime members of the Conservative congregation. When my husband passed away, one of our sons was in Thailand and it took 5 days for him to get back to Israel. Since we have two sons, burial in the Orthodox cemetery would have had to be immediate, since only one son is necessary to say kaddish by Halacha. Burial in the Conservative cemetery allowed us to wait until both sons were back. “Kvod HaMet” was superceded by the compassionate right of all the surviving children to bury their father by the Conservatives, but the Orthodox would never have allowed this.

I won’t go into the fanatic ultra-religious, anti-Zionist Naturei Karta consorting with Arafat and the PA. Too disgusting.

Army service is just one of many elements. If Arab terror doesn’t finish us off, the religious-secular rift will tear us apart unless resolved.

IMO, blind hatred of all things religious is NOT the solution. What is absolutely necessary is religious pluralism. It is a great pity that the voices for religious pluralism and tolerance are so few and so muted here. You practically get off the plane and are forced to choose one extreme pole or the other.

[sharonbn]

There are really two levels on which the secular and orthodox communities debate:

1. The practical level: issues that concern the participation of the orthodox in civil duties and their relying upon state funding. this was described and debated here in length.

2. The philosophycal/theological level:
This is level the level where you ask: What is essence and reasoning for the state of Israel?
How much of it is "the Jewish state" and how much is "western democratic civilization"?
When we speak about the Jewish state, we must understand the very term "Jewish" is also controversial. Judaism is the only religion in the world that also defines the ethnic identity of its followers. this duality is the root cause for the great diffrences in which people describes their "Jewishness" and consequentailly, their aspirations and expectations from the only Jewish state in the world.

A person is defined Jewish if he/she was born to a Jewish mother or was converted to Judaism. This definition is problematic, to say the least.

I, being born to a Jewish mother, am considered 100% Jewish even if I never set foot in a synagogue or observe ANY religious rule. However, if I will convert to Christianity, I will cease to be considered a Jew in all aspects.

Children born to a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother who were born and raised in Israel (there are many such families in the Kibutz, for example) consider themselves Jewish and Israeli (they do bear full Israeli citizenship). They go to the army and live a full productive life in Israel. They "feel" 100% Jewish and share the community emotions regarding Jewish history such as the Holocaust and the foundation of Israel. Yet - these people are not considered Jewish (at least until the "convert") and cannot marry in Israel.

This philosophycal debate touches daily reality in issues such as Laws of marriage and divorce, laws concerning birth and abortions, laws concerning Sabath, jurisdiction of religious court houses etc.

I hope Shinui can make a chnage in the phylosophical level - turning Israel into a state with civil rules and humane western ideology. This should NOT hinder the definition of Israel as a Jewish state that serves as a refuge for the Jewish people worldwide.
I believe the way in which Israel defines its Jewishness should not be manifested in the Law book, but rather by means of education, culture, the media, etc.

[Miriam]

Seen realistically, what can be done about the Haredim at the moment? Force them into compulsory professional education (costs, general economic situation...), let them and their kids starve, take the children away from them and put them under public care ($$$ again...) ?

[Am Yisrael]

Seen realistically, what can be done about the Haredim at the moment? Force them into compulsory professional education (costs, general economic situation...), let them and their kids starve, take the children away from them and put them under public care ($$$ again...) ?

Why cant there be a special "settlement" where Haradim can work only for their basic needs. You know like a small agricultural patch? They can put in minimal effort, keep their families fed, and have enough time to pray. I know your thinking that this resembles a kibbutz, but unlike a kibbutz it merely survives on "itself".

[sharonbn]

Originally posted by Am Yisrael
Why cant there be a special "settlement" where Haradim can work only for their basic needs. You know like a small agricultural patch? They can put in minimal effort, keep their families fed, and have enough time to pray. I know your thinking that this resembles a kibbutz, but unlike a kibbutz it merely survives on "itself".

This "solution" is undesirable by both parties.

The haredim do not wish "to be left alone". They wish to dominate Israeli life on many aspects: To establish Torah law as the civil law of the state, to determine school studies corriculum, to receive state funds so they can concentrate soley on Torah studies, etc.

The secular, OTOH, see the potential of the haredim as a productive, contributing community. The country literaly NEEDS working hands and tax income. The haredim, counting at nearly 1 million (~15% of the population), with 350,000 adult males and females, can do wonders to Israeli security and economy, once they are "persuaded" to do their share.

[Miriam]

Originally posted by sharonbn


The secular, OTOH, see the potential of the haredim as a productive, contributing community. The country literaly NEEDS working hands and tax income. The haredim, counting at nearly 1 million (~15% of the population), with 350,000 adult males and females, can do wonders to Israeli security and economy, once they are "persuaded" to do their share. [/B] Sorry, I don't get it. I understand that Israel has an unemployment rate of ~20% and this number does not include the Haredim (correct me if I'm wrong on this). Many of the "other" unemployed are obviously qualified and willing to work. If there is no employment potential for them, where should the one for the Haredim come from, most of whom (the men, not the women) have AFAIK little or no professional training?

[Am Yisrael]

Originally posted by Miriam
Sorry, I don't get it. I understand that Israel has an unemployment rate of ~20% and this number does not include the Haredim (correct me if I'm wrong on this).

Yeh exactly! they cant all be the laziest jobnics are they? Could you tell me what "hands on" work there is a need for? because Im planning to move to Israel soon and I dont what to be one of those unemployed thats draining the economy.

What I dont understand is why cant the government deal with such a high unemployement if there is a need for workers. Many people I know finish the army and cant get a job anywhere. If there is a need for work these healthy fresh young people are the best employees for labour or whatever jobs available.

[sharonbn]

Originally posted by Miriam
Sorry, I don't get it. I understand that Israel has an unemployment rate of ~20% and this number does not include the Haredim (correct me if I'm wrong on this). Many of the "other" unemployed are obviously qualified and willing to work. If there is no employment potential for them, where should the one for the Haredim come from, most of whom (the men, not the women) have AFAIK little or no professional training?


At the moment, there is high unemployment and maybe there isn't enough jobs for everyone.
However, saying this is looking at the present and forgetting the past. In the days of the high tech rise, where Israeli companies excel, there was HUGH demand for work in Israel. So much that Israeli companies employed Indian programmers because the colleges and universities could not churn enough graduates.
This symptom goes back even further to the first half of the ninties, when the education system was caught sleeping.

Had the haredim being an integraetd part of the productive Israeli community, we would have ripped the fruits in 99-00. and make no mistake - the recession will end and high tech industry will flourish once again in this decade - and then what??? NOW NOW NOW is the time to invest in the children so that in 7-8-9 years we will be prepared .

[cerulean]

Does anyone know of a good statistical report discussing female participation in the Israeli workforce?

[NewsGuy]

Just noting that already, preparations for a meeting between Ariel Sharon and Hosni Mubarak are underway. This will be the first time in years that the two have met, and practically the first time in years that the two will even speak.

In general, up to now, contacts with any Arab state have pretty much been worthless, but this is a sign that the Arabs are getting the message that the vast majority of Israelis support Sharon's policies.

[Mediocrates]

Originally posted by cerulean
Does anyone know of a good statistical report discussing female participation in the Israeli workforce?


Did you look here?

http://www.cbs.gov.il/engindex.htm

[wellofvow]

Originally posted by sharonbn

Had the haredim being an integraetd part of the productive Israeli community, we would have ripped the fruits in 99-00. and make no mistake - the recession will end and high tech industry will flourish once again in this decade - and then what??? NOW NOW NOW is the time to invest in the children so that in 7-8-9 years we will be prepared .

The ultra-religious and haredi communities have been programmed and conditioned for hundreds of years that their "employment" is praying and Torah study, and their employers are other Jews. They have been financially supported by tzdakka forever.

They will NOT do physical work - it will interfere with their studies. The idea of an "agricultural patch" will not play in Peoria - it is very hard work to be a farmer. There ARE religious kibbutzim, but they are nothing close to haredi.

They will NOT let their children be exposed to a secular learning situation. They will continue to demand their own education system to fit in with what they envision their purpose-in-life to be, and not what the secular State of Israel does.

I agree with whoever wrote that the haredim do not want to be left alone, but rather they want to turn Israel into a theocracy. In many aspects they have done this, and this is the cause for the bitter secular-religious rift. They are absolutely opposed to any sort of religious pluralism. They feel intensely threatened by any definition of Judaism that is less stringent than their strict adherence.

[Mercury]

Originally posted by wellofvow
The ultra-religious and haredi communities have been programmed and conditioned for hundreds of years that their "employment" is praying and Torah study, and their employers are other Jews. They have been financially supported by tzdakka forever. They will NOT do physical work - it will interfere with their studies.

I don't think it's true - the jewish community typically supported only rabbins, not anyone who decided to study torah (this would be simply impossible). Anyways, any religion eventually adapts to the reality - if the ultraorthodox had support themselves instead of getting money from the goverment, they would take a job.

[wellofvow]

Originally posted by Mercury
I don't think it's true - the jewish community typically supported only rabbins, not anyone who decided to study torah (this would be simply impossible). Anyways, any religion eventually adapts to the reality - if the ultraorthodox had support themselves instead of getting money from the goverment, they would take a job.

I apologize that I was not clear in my previous post. I was referring to the ultra-religious communities in Eretz Yisrael, later called Israel. The ultra-religious communities in Jerusalem, Tzfat, Tiberias before the creation of the State certainly got no money from the "government" at the time - either the Ottomans or the Brits - and they did not go out to work either. They lived, barely surviving, in great poverty, on handouts from tzdaka (charity) from abroad. They were not supported by the Jewish community living here at that time that was not ultra-religious itself. Even the secular pioneers, who were for the most part very anti-religious, were poor.

Ben Gurion made a very unfortunate decision about the government's relationship with the ultra-religious, probably mostly based on guilt, in the very early days of the State. If the government would not give them money to support themselves, and this would simply never be allowed to happen, but say it did, they would still not go out to hustle for a job. At least, not a job in the real, secular world.

I know several extremely religious Israelis who have many traits similar to the ultra-religious haredim, but they are Westerners. They DO have jobs in the real world, as university professors, doctors, all kinds of professions. However, the hard-core haredim who have been living in Mea Shearim, Tzfat, what have you for many generations, propagating at very high numbers, will probably not change. They will just sink further into poverty, barely surviving on the dole and funds from abroad.

Although I had very pious grandparents, I must admit that I do not give money to yeshiva bochers who randomly ring my doorbell to beg for money. My boys served in the army, worked at whatever jobs they could get, studied at universities in fields that they knew would enable them to support a family. In spite of my roots, I just cannot buy into the haredi line.

[Bard Fan]

From Yahoo news:

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon brought the centrist Shinui party into his coalition on Monday, winning a slim majority in parliament that will allow him to form a government, a spokesman for Sharon said.

Any comments about this. I am happy about this. What is the downside to have the Shunui party as part of the coalition?

[Mercury]

You mean what is the downside to have other parties in the coalition with Shinui? :D