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154-5959

ISRAEL CORRESPONDENT

he late Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin may have
been many things to many
people, but a politician he
definitely was not. A general by
temperament and training, he ac-
quired a reputation as a keen an-
alyst of haute politique.
Yet, when it came to jockeying
on the domestic political scene,
he lacked the necessary cunning
and talent. What you saw was
pretty much what you got. And
the upshot of the straight and
square manner in which he
played politics was the minority
government (after Shas pulled Shimon Peres:
out of the coalition in the autumn Political headaches?
of 1993) that left him so vulner-
deputy prime minister, placing
able.
Shimon Peres, it seems, is not him on an equal footing with Mr.
about to make the same mistake. Barak. He got the ministry Mr.
A master of political gamesman- Barak vacated (Interior), though
ship, Mr. Peres has been known Mr. Peres sweetened the pill by
to overplay his hand. None here granting a seat in the "Inner Cab-
forget when, through consider- inet" and on the team shepherd-
able horse trading, he brought ing the peace negotiations.
Mr. Barak, the newest and
down the Likud-led National
Unity Government in 1990 and "greenest" of the ministers, was
then failed to form a Labor-led promoted to the key post of for-
government in its stead. Those eign minister. (Mr. Peres, like Mr.
antics brought him the "stinky Rabin before him, decided to keep
manuever" label hurled by Mr. the defense portfolio for himself).
But that, too, was a limited
Rabin.
As a rule, however, Mr. Peres coup. Mr. Peres effectively
practices the art of the possible stripped his foreign minister of
like a virtuoso. 'When it comes the most significant aspect of his
to political maneuvering, Peres role by shifting it to his loyalists:
is a one-man, elite commando Yossi Beilin, now minister in the
unit," is how columnist Yoel Mar- Prime Minister's Office; and For-
cus put it in Ha'aretz last week- eign Ministry Director-General
end. In the week since presenting Uri Savir, who adds to his post
his government, he has more the position of coordinator of the
than lived up to that reputation. peace effort.
Therefore, Mr. Peres has
Quick moves
embraced Labor's self-styled
Of the three decisions Mr. "princes" (both Rabin loyalists),
Peres had to make in forming a but is holding them in a political
government, the first — for or bear hug. That will ensure that
against quick elections — was the the struggle for succession will
easiest. As expected, he skipped not begin until after the election
culling an immediate sympathy in 1996. The "princes" also know
vote (especially among the that they had better behave if
they want to be well placed in Mr.
younger generation).
Instead, he chose to form a gov- Peres's next government (as-
ernment quickly — based on the suming he's in a position to form
existing coalition — and to use one in November '96).
While Mr. Peres's moves were
the coming year to make his own
imprint on the country and the largely anticipated, what sur-
prised even veteran Peres watch-
peace process.
He handled the second ques- ers was the speed with which he
tion — how to deal with Labor's doffed his super-dove image and
two leading aspirants to succeed edged rightward, a spot more ap-
him: Histadrut Chairman Haim propriate for Israel's prime min-
Ramon and recently appointed ister. Even while signing a
Interior Minister Ehud Barak - coalition agreement with the left-
with similar shrewdness and wing Meretz Party, Mr. Peres
aplomb. Mr, Ramon, Labor's "bad sent Mr. Beilin to discuss an in-
boy," had hoped to be appointed triguing deal with the modern
foMign .minista;,6f .a t' least Orthodox National Religious

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