Skirting The Abyss

Barak making last-ditch effort to save
his governing coalition.

DAVID LANDAU
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Jerusale;n

1p

rime Minister Ehud
Barak was fighting for
his political life this
week.
His largest coalition partner,
the fervently Orthodox Shas
Party, resigned from the govern-
ment Tuesday, a move that could
force new elections.
But Barak, using the two-day
cooling-off period prescribed by
law before the resignations take
effect, was urging Shas to return.
At the same time, Barak and
the ministers from his One
Israel bloc were pressuring their
other major partner, the secular
Meretz Party, to give ground in
its ongoing battle with Shas and
thereby pull the government
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak speaks in Tel Aviv on June 14. Barak
back from the abyss.
said that he will press forward with Israeli-Palestinian peace talks despite
Meretz, which controls the
political troubles that could bring down his government.
Education Ministry, has for
months locked horns with Shas
few if any politicians are eager to risk their future at
over funding for the party's
the ballot box again.
financially troubled school network.
Indeed, Shas is likewise reluctant to go to elec-
"Whatever happens, there will be a government
tions now — the party is suffering from internal
committed to our policies of peace, security and
rifts and former leader Aryeh Deri still awaits a ver-
closing the economic gaps," Barak said at a news
dict in his appeal on a conviction for taking bribes
conference Tuesday.
— and this is seen within One Israel as Barak's
strongest remaining card.

Outlook Bleak

But other voices from within his party admitted that
if Shas goes, Barak's prospects for holding onto
power would be bleak.
"We have no other real option if Shas leaves,"
Environment Minister Dalia Itzik of One Israel said
Tuesday night.
While on paper Barak could perhaps cobble
together a narrow-based government — without any
Orthodox component and relying on the votes of
the 10 legislators from Israeli Arab parties — this
would render him permanently at the mercy of
numerous small partners and ultimately doomed to
fall prey to their contrary pressures and demands.
Another alternative, of course, is early elections.
If elections are held, One Israel hopes the recent
withdrawal of troops from southern Lebanon and
the beginnings of an upturn in the Israeli economy
will buoy Barak's political fortunes.
But predicting the outcome of elections is dan-
gerous. And, barely a year after Barak took office,

6/23
2000

26

The Meretz leader offered to withdraw his party
from the government, remaining in the coalition
without controlling any ministries. But Barak was
reluctant to take up this offer, fearing it would be
seen as a surrender to Shas pressure.
Instead, as the 48 hours relentlessly ticked away,
Barak summoned his party ministers Tuesday night
to present yet another possible compromise: He
himself will head a special ministerial committee
that will oversee the Shas school system during the
coming three months.
Anything smacking of discrimination against the
Shas schools would immediately be taken up by the
committee.
In this way Barak suggested, Sarid would not be
stripped of the formal power over the Shas schools,
but in practice the prime minister would hold the
last word.

Role Of Meretz

In his live televised news conference on Tuesday Barak
voiced thinly veiled criticism of the Meretz leader.
Barak said some 99 percent of Meretz voters had
voted for him as premier because they wanted to
entrust him with the important task of peacemaking
with the Palestinians and Israel's other neighbors.
Surely, Barak added, the present dispute over
Shas' school funding and its broadcasting stations
should take a back seat while the government enters
a critically important period in the peace process.
"A time will come when all involved will have to
- take stock and search their hearts," Barak said
somberly.
It was clear he was referring to Sarid and to what
Barak sees as Sarid's personal responsibility for the crisis.
Several One Israel ministers were said to be urging
behind the scenes that Barak finally — belatedly in
their view — exercise his authority over Sarid and
force the issue with the Meretz chairman, ordering
him to confer powers on Deputy Minister Nahari and
accepting Sarid's resignation if he refuses to do so.
These ministers believe there is some body of
opinion inside Meretz itself that feels increasingly
uncomfortable with the equanimity with which they
believe Sarid is engineering the collapse of Barak's
peace coalition.
Political observers, watching the premier's
unscripted
television appearance, said Barak was not
Radio Station Issue
trying
to
conceal
his hope that Shas step back from
Barak told reporters this week that 90 percent of the
the
brink.
disputed issues surrounding Shas' educational net-
Barak still believes that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Shas'
work had been resolved in "long days and nights of
spiritual leader, backs him on the peace process and
negotiation."
is willing to instruct the party's 17 legislators to sup-
He said another Shas demand — the creation of
port his peace moves — if the Shas schools are final-
a separate broadcast authority for Orthodox televi-
ly wrested from Sarid's control.
sion and radio stations had also been resolved.
On the other hand, the pundits note, Barak can-
Shas was effectively being offered autonomy for
not simply give Shas whatever it wants, for fear of
its stations, now broadcasting illegally, within the
running afoul of the High Court of Justice, where
existing second broadcast authority.
any
irregular arrangement with Shas would
But for Shas, this was not enough as long as
inevitably
be questioned.
Meretz's leader, Education Minister Yossi Sarid, still
With
this
very much in mind, Barak said Tuesday
wields direct control over Shas' education system. Shas
that
all
his
proposals
to Shas were firmly within the
ministers demanded that their school network be
parameters
of
the
law.
removed from the Education Ministry entirely, or, fail-
ing that; be put under the direct aegis of the deputy
For late-breaking news on the government crisis, please
minister of education, Shas' own Meshulam Nahari.
visit www.detroitjewishnews.com .
Sarid adamantly opposes either of these options.

❑

