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. 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