Silver Lining
Netanyahu wins Likud showdown, but Sharon may have the last laugh.
international standing for the sake of petty
political
gain. And, by opposing Palestinian
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
statehood so vehemently, Netanyahu may have
Jerusalem
painted himself into a far-right corner, which
is no secret that former Prime Minister
will make it difficult for him to win support
Binyamin Netanyahu plans to challenge
from the center if he runs again for prime
Ariel Sharon for leadership of the Likud
a- minister.
Party and, he hopes, succeed Sharon as
Indeed, the vote might even hurt
prime minister of Israel.
Netanyahu's chances of winning the Likud
So when Netanyahu moved to have Likud's
nomination: The party leader and prime min-
Central Committee vote Sunday against the
isterial candidate is elected by the full Likud
establishment of a Palestinian state, it seemed
membership, currently estimated at about
he had found the perfect weapon to accelerate
150,000, not by the more militant, 2,600-
Sharon's political demise.
member Central Committee.
Indeed, Netanyahu succeeded in pushing
As columnist Nahum Barnea put it in Yediot
through the vote against a Palestinian state,
Achronot:
"Netanyahu has placed himself so far
Ariel Sharon and Binyamin Netanyahu pause during a Likud
over Sharon's vehement opposition.
to
the
right
that soon they'll be comparing
Party conference in Tel Aviv on May 12.
Yet after being seen for some time as the front-
Sharon to Chirac and Netanyahu to Le Pen."
runner for the next leader of the Likud and possi-
Netanyahu supporters; however, argue that
bly the next prime minister, Netanyahu may have
tators lauded his courage in presenting the motion
it was their man who was going out on a limb for
embarked on a gambit with unintend-
despite the certainty of a humiliating defeat.
the national interest. They contend that a
ed consequences.
Palestinian state would be a mortal danger to Israel,
Paradoxically, the fact that the
because statehood entails control of airspace, bor-
policy-making body of Sharon's own Everything On Table
ders, armed forces and water.
party turned against him has only shored up
Sharon made clear to the committee that he was not
Even if limits are imposed in these areas by treaty,
Sharon's credentials among the general Israeli public
prepared to rule anything out at this juncture, and
Israel could hardly guarantee that the Palestinians
as a centrist and a responsible national leader.
that he wanted to keep his diplomatic options open.
would observe the restrictions.
Internationally, too, Sharon's strong statements
"I was elected to bring security and peace," he
Netanyahu backers also dismiss Sharon's argument
repudiating the Central Committee vote reassured
thundered, "and that is what I intend to do."
that the issue is not relevant now and say Netanyahu
world leaders that he would not spurn the slight
Even after the voting, Sharon stressed that he had
acted just in time to subvert secret government plans
recent opening toward peace and painted him as a
no intention of allowing the Central Committee
to grant Palestinian statehood soon.
statesman able to rise above petty domestic politics.
decision to bind him in any way. He would act, he
Netanyahu suspects that Sharon intends to go to a
Sharon's troubles in his party began last September said, as he had always done — according to his
proposed Middle East peace conference this summer
when he declared that, unlike the Turks, British and
understanding of Israel's national interest.
with a plan for early Palestinian statehood, based on
Jordanians, Israel was prepared to allow the
Sharon also told U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell
a formula devised by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres
Palestinians to establish a state of their own. That set that he would not allow party machinations to deflect
and Palestinian Authority official Ahmed Karia.
off alarm bells in the Likud, where the idea of
him from his search for peace with the Palestinians.
"Whatever talks have been going on with the
Palestinian statehood long has been an anathema.
Glowing media reports the next day said Sharon
Palestinians behind the scenes will now come up
Prompted by Netanyahu, some party activists
had come across as a national leader, ready to take a
against a very strong barrier," warned legislator
decided to bring Sharon's deviation from the party
political beating within his party rather than com-
YisraerKatz, a key Netanyahu supporter.
line to a vote.
promise the national interest.
Netanyahu backers depict the Central Committee
Sharon tried to defer the vote against Palestinian
Netanyahu, on the contrary, was widely depicted
vote as the beginning of the end for Sharon. They
statehood, but was soundly defeated. Still, commen-
as an opportunist, willing to undermine Israel's
SILVER LINING on page 24
LESLIE SUSSER
-
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