This Week
e Benefactors of the
JEWISH HOME & AGING SERVICES
present an
Sharon's
Clever Gambit
Early elections hold promise and peril
for Israel's Ariel Sharon.
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LESLIE SUSSER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jerusalem
33
arly elections may not have
been Ariel Sharon's first
choice, but his decision to
go to the polls as soon as
poSsible enables the savvy Israeli prime
minister to make a number of political
and diplomatic gains.
By calling the shots, Sharon comes
across as a powerful leader still setting
the national agenda. By calling elec-
tions for late January or early February,
he makes it difficult
,
for the Labor Party,
which left his gov-
ernment only last
week, to establish
itself as a credible
opposition force.
In addition, by
rejecting the idea of a
narrow government
with the far-right
National Union-
Israel Our Home
bloc, Sharon avoids a
potential showdown
with Washington
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, center, incoming
and retains the con-
Mossad head Meir Dagan, left, and outgoing head Ephraim
sensual, middle-of-
Halevy join in a toast Oct. 30 during a hand-over ceremony
the-road image that
in the prime ministry in Jerusalem.
has made him so
popular in Israel.
interested in his own political destiny
The Sharon government's last order
than in the national welfare.
of business will be to pass, as soon as
The move seemed to backfire, how-
possible and without amendments, the
ever, when Netanyahu outflanked
2003 budget over which Labor osten-
Sharon by accepting the post — on
sibly left the coalition last week.
the condition that Sharon move for
All other major policy issues likely
early elections. On Monday, the prime
will be on hold until after the elec-
minister rejected the condition, calling
tions. In the run-up to an expected
it "irresponsible." The very next day,
American attack on Iraq, Sharon is
however, Sharon notified President
unlikely to undertake any military
Moshe Katsav of his intention to go to
moves against the Palestinians that
elections — making the decision his
might upset Washington.
For the same reason, he is unlikely to own, rather than the product of pres-
a
sure from Netanyahu.
move on the American "road map" for
For good measure, Sharon blamed the
peace with the Palestinians, arguing
that such major policy issues should be decision on political blackmail by the
.
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all proceeds benefit programs and services for older adults
left to the post-election government.
What the early election gambit fails
to do is catch Sharon's rival for Likud
Party leadership, former prime minis-
ter Binyamin Netanyahu, unprepared.
In fact, Sharon's announcement Nov. 5
that he would go to elections within
90 days followed a weekend of dra-
matic maneuvering between Sharon
and Netanyahu, two political masters.
Sharon had hoped to trap
Netanyahu by offering him the Foreign
Ministry: Either he would accept and
tie his fate to Sharon's government, or
he would refuse and appear more