Sharon Government in Crisis

[cerulean]

Note: Merged with similar thread

http://www.jpost.com/NASApp/cs/Conte...=1021813218966

In a stunning chain of events, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fired four out of five cabinet ministers from the Shas party as well as five deputy ministers from Shas and two deputy ministers from United Torah Judaism after both parties voted down the goverment's budget plan in the Knesset last night.

...

This thread may tie in somewhat to the "Dear Israel" thread.

(Edit: I chose this title because that is what the radio announcer said. I'm not sure if this actually constitutes a crisis or not.)

[Mediocrates]

http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enPage=HomePage


look on the right side about half way down there is an applet that maps out the party affiliations of the government. Shas has or had 17 seats. Which begs the question why they had so many seats in the cabinet to begin with.

This is backlash from the failure to pass the emergency economic package. The reason the Shas ministers did not vote for it is because the package cut benefits to children of parents who do not serve in the army. Nissim Dahan is the only Shas not fired because he did not vote against the pakage.

[L@mplighterM]

Sharon fires four Shas ministers after they vote against budget

Updated 5/21 0:10 Israel time - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fired four of five ministers of the religious Shas party, and all Shas deputy ministers, after they voted against an emergency economic plan which was, stunningly, rejected by a vote of 47 to 44. Shas opposed the bill, and several Labor Knesset Members were absent during the vote, as was Education Minister Limor Livnat, from Sharon's Likud party. The developments shake the stability of Sharon's government, and may lead to early elections as well as economic turbulence


http://www.israelinsider.com/index.htm

[NewsGuy]

Originally posted by L@mplighterM
Sharon fires four Shas ministers after they vote against budget

This is a very important development, with potentially far-reaching results.

The fired ministers are mostly from the Shas party, which opposed the budget because the budget called for a 25% reduction in social benefits and welfare payments to the families of those who do not serve in the IDF (mostly ultra-Orthodox).

But there are 5 issues to note:

1. The Shas party used to kick around Barak, constantly threatening to leave his fragile coalition, which would topple the government. Barak gave in to everything they demanded, which was mostly to be excused form army service and overly generous funding for Sephardi ultra-Orthodox schools and other social programs. This was also used as a tool to create jobs for Sephardi employees who would work in those institutions. Ultimately, the dependence on Shas turned out very badly for Barak.

2. Sharon has finally defied Shas and, as such, risks an almost certain fracturing of his coalition, which is thankfully stronger than that of Barak at the time. It is possible that if a deal is struck under which Shas will support the budget, then Sharon would recant his firing of the Shas ministers, and a crisis would be averted. Sharon could potentially emerge in a stronger position, having rebuffed Shas.

3. The Labour party, which was supposed to vote on the bi-partisan budget, failed to deliver the aount of votes promised to Sharon. Several high-profile moinisters abstained form voting altogether, and several turned against the party plan to approve the budget. This indicates divisions and in-fighting within the Labour party.

4. The budget is a very unpopular one because it calls for several cuts in social benefits ad welfare, at a time that there is a high percentage of unemployed Israelis, as a result of the 2 year Palestinian war on Israel.

5. If the budget is not approved, then the Israeli stock market is expected to do poorly, the dollar is expected to get stronger against the Shekel, and Israel's credit rating my be reduced by international credit agencies -- all because the budget contains austere cuts that are viewed as financially responsible. Rejection of the budget may signal that Israel would need to slip deeper into debt and might also result in a weakening of the already battered economy.

[Skogan]

So was it a good thing in your opinion?


Skogan

[NewsGuy]

Originally posted by Skogan
So was it a good thing in your opinion?

I honestly don't know how it will pan out.

If Sharon emerges stronger, then it is good. If early elections are called, then it would be a bad thing.

As we speak, though, a news bulleting in the Israeli press is reporting that "Likud sources say centrist Shinui party ready to join coalition once ultra-Orthodox parties out."

That may be the best outcome.

[L@mplighterM]

I take it that it became a motion of no confidence and theoretically it could topple the government. I believe that under some political systems it would be the end of the current government meaning a call for new elections.

The two-year-old war on terrorism must be having a serious impact on the economy and I don’t see this a being helpful to Israel. There was an overall cost of goods amounting to 1.5 percentage points in April and if this continues the annual inflation rate would go into the double digests.

The cuts were in my opinion an evil necessity to bring inflation to a halt before it spirals out of control. In short voting against the proposed measures was not the right thing to do.

This could also have a serious impact relating to the fight against terrorism and may in fact in my opinion shape any future negotiations with the Palestinians.

[NewsGuy]

Originally posted by L@mplighterM
I take it that it became a motion of no confidence and theoretically it could topple the government.

So far, it was just a rejection of the budget upon first reading.

But the firing of the Shas ministers poses the probability that they will pull out of the coalition, which then would only have a slim majority. At that point, a no-confidence vote could be brought, and it would be risky for Sharon.

In fact, the trecherous extreme Leftist Meretz party did try to collapse the government by bringing a no-confidence vote earlier today, but it was defeated, as usual.

If however, Shinui replaces Shas in the coalition, then again Likud will have a healthy majority and all will be well... till the next time.

[L@mplighterM]

Sorry Cerulean I posted the same story some time after yours.

[Mediocrates]

All the takeos of the world should parse the words of their wishes very carefully -

The intifada caused a crises in the economy which precipitated the emergency package to begin with. Now with a minority party threatening to pull out because they have been rewarded in the past, disproportionally, it leaves the field more open for precisely the kind of people all the takeos of the world don't want in charge.

I suppose though all the takeos of the world would applaud if the Haredi simply used the Palistan gambit and blew themselves up in the streets. That seems to be a legitimate course of political response, according to them.

[Morpheus]

The takeo's of the world ... LOL

Why don't you just call them Europeans.

I hope there will be early elections, and maybe people will come to their sences again and vote for left. We have all seen that under Sharon terrorism was not halted, in fact, it only created more terrorism. This means Sharon has failed, and he should learn lessons from it and stop his political carreer. Maybe a centre-left gov't wouldn't be a bad idea. A gov't of unity never works, and this gov't only has 65 out of 120 seats in the parliament. There should be a broader coalition, with Left and Right represented, but without Sharon.

[Mediocrates]

"Why don't you just call them Europeans"

Because that would be unfair. Not all Europeans are overeducated underemployed faux Marxist cafe wannabes who can't tell the difference between marketing and reality. Or if they can, don't care.

At least I hope not.


You do know, don't you that left and center left party members have a majority in the Knesset and have for some time. Even the left is a coalition and somewhat more fragmented. So it's not at all clear that a Labor led revolt has a center that can hold. AndI'm pretty sure that all the takeos of the world don't wish an unstable Israeli government since an unpredictable government would not look with beatific eyes on the poor peaceful peaceloving people of peace of Palistan.

[Morpheus]

what do you mean with underemployed?

[Morpheus]

What do you mean with underemployed? You think lefties are a bunch of frustrated people. You like to refer to Europe as being leftist. It's true, our rightwing parties in Europe are more progressive than the democracts, the "leftist" party of the US.

Also, please make a distinction between Marxism and 'leftism'. We are no revolutionarry commies.

[Mediocrates]

Originally posted by Morpheus
what do you mean with underemployed?

...someone who has the time to write multiple 9,500 word epistles all day....