FURNITURE OUTLET

Low Overhead
No Fancy Showroom

Because of this we are able to offer our quality
merchandise directly to the consumer and pass
the savings of up to 60% to You!

• BEDROOM SETS • DINING TABLES
• ENTERTAINMENT CIATERS
• COCKTAIL, SOFA, END TABLES

Laminate Furniture -Choose From 100's
of Colors—Gloss, Matte & Textured

Choose any size or style
to fit your needs.

(810) 669-0066
2599 Crumb Rd., Commerce Twp.

Mon.-Tues. CLOSED, Wed.-Sat. 10-5, Sun. 12-4 • 669-0066

ONCE - A -YEAR SALE • •

20% Off

Practically Everything
STOREWIDE

BEST
SELECTION! t_

DON'T MISS IT...
Extended Thru
Sat., Aug. 3rd

716"eiteleut i Eaageat Setecrio4
7aes,

• Dolls • Trains • Dollhouses & Miniatures •
• Brio • Playmobil • Breyer Horses • Games & Puzzles •
• Telescopes • Science Projects • Erector Sets •
Soldiers & Castles • Infant & Preschool • Puppets •
• Arts & Crafts • Plush Animals • Summertime
Activities • Party Favors

WOODEN BACKYARD
PLAYSTRUCTURES AND MORE!!

PLAN AHEAD FOR THE HOLIDAYS

3947 W. 12 Mile
Berkley

*Have You Enrolled
In Our FREQUENT

(conveniently located
near 1-696)

BUYER PROGRAM?

(810) 543-3115

48 1

Mon.-Sat.: 10-5:30
Fri.: 10-8

Watch Your
Frequent Buyer
Credits Mount Up
During July.

Shimon Peres:
Sending Mixed Signals

The veteran Labor leader is still at the helm,
but how long will he stay there?

LARRY DERFNER ISRAEL CORRESPONDENT

S

ince his election defeat, La-
bor's Shimon Peres has be-
come more beloved a
public figure than ever. He
is applauded wherever he ap-
pears. Peres bumper stickers are
still a common sight; so many of
his supporters still can't bring
themselves to remove them. In
the last two months the public
has come to see him as the coun-
try's elder statesman, according
him his last hurrah in anticipa-
tion of his imminent departure
from the political stage.
But inside the Labor Party,
the applause for Mr. Peres is dy-
ing down and shouts of "Resign!"
are being heard. A new genera-
tion of leadership is struggling
to be born, and Mr. Peres is
standing in its way.

Peres and Labor to join a na-
tional unity government.
This may be true. But the size
of Mr. Peres' ego should not be
underestimated. For the better
part of two decades, he battled to
win and hold onto the leadership,
even after learning that he was
a near-guaranteed loser on Elec-
tion Day.
Mr. Peres has sent out mixed
signals about his plans. At one
recent, stormy Labor meeting, he
argued that now was not the
time to step down and make way
for a battle among would-be suc-
cessors. Coming right after the
loss to Likud's Binyamin Ne-
tanyahu, the competition would
be so acrimonious and vengeful,
he said, that the winner would
end up crippled politically. "This
PHOTO BY RNS/REUTERS is the ugly truth — he
would be broken," Mr.
Peres said. "I'm stay-
ing on out of a sense of
responsibility, not out
of desire."
But on other occa-
sions, he has made it
clear that he doesn't
see his election defeat
as having been con-
clusive. The election
was decided by less
than 1 percent, Mr.
Peres has noted, and
the determining fac-
tors were the coercive
power of ultra-Ortho-
dox rabbis over their
followers, and the low
turnout by Peres vot-
ers.
I won the electoral
support of 1.5 million
Israeli citizens. They
voted for me, on ac-
count of my political
direction, so that I
Shimon Peres isn't saying if or when he'll leave the
would represent them.
party leadership.
They voted for me and
no one else," Labor ac-
At age 73 he remains the tivists quoted Mr. Peres as say-
chairman of the party, and leader ing.
Most significantly, when
of the opposition. Instead of
gracefully fading away, he is asked if he intends to run in
keeping himself squarely in the 2000, Mr. Peres refuses to rule
spotlight. While it was once as- it out or in.
By any measure, Mr. Peres is
sumed that Mr. Peres would not
run again for prime minister in one of the most accomplished
the year 2000 — which would statesmen in Israel's history. He
make his sixth race — this is now has been a central figure in na-
tional politics for over 40 years,
a real possibility.
Some insiders hint that Mr. and the Oslo Accords made him
Peres is staying on because he one of the most admired leaders
expects Mr. Netanyahu to run in the world. But he also might
into trouble with the Arabs and be the least successful major
coalition partners. Then, the party candidate in the history
Likud leader would call on Mr. of democratic elections.