Labor launches bid to establish Kadima-free coalition

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Labor Party officials began overt moves Sunday to establish a "social front" coalition led by party chairman Amir Peretz that would include right-wing parties, but not Kadima.

Party members recommended to President Moshe Katsav that he ask Peretz to form the next government, instead of the Kadima leader, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Meanwhile, Binyamin Elon, the leader of National Union and the National Religious Party, which ran in the elections on a joint ticket, said Sunday afternoon that the faction will recommend that Peretz form the next government."

<snip>

"Traditionally, the leader of the party that wins the most seats in the elections is invited to form the government. But, Labor officials argued, for the first time, the largest party failed to win more than 30 seats, and Peretz has a better chance of assembling a coalition."


http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/701435.html

[rockymountaindem]

1. Evidently that Peretz guy is a dynamo

I wish him luck. For a change, I have to say I'm rather ambivalent about who takes the reins in Israel, because I think both Olmert and Peretz are good in different ways. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

[sabbat hunter]

2. kadima

as the party that won the most seats will be given the first shot to form a government. if they fail then labor will probably be given one.

but to ally themselves with right wing parties like national union and the national religous party, peretz has shown that he isnt interested in the peace process or the needs of the people. if he wants to form a government with those two parties means he has to give a ton of concessions (more money to yeshivas, enforce and pass laws of religious restrictions and end any peace process with the palestinians. )

peretz should show himself to be a true leader and disavow those parties and form a government of national unity with kadima.

[Coastie for Truth]

4. All the religious parties are interested in

is money for yeshivas and mikvehs. They want to put their pushke cans in the Knesset Chamber-

(They love to harass female tourist for displays of wrists and ankles - calling them harlots. They're as bad as wahabis and evangelicals.)

[Violet_Crumble]

3. Peretz nixes 'unnatural' coalition with right wing

Labor Party Chairman Amir Peretz on Monday denied rumors that he intends to form a coalition with right-wing parties to undermine the obvious candidate for premiership Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Peretz told his aides that he will not form a coalition with the right even though he can do it "in ten minutes."

"I will not form a government that is unnatural that will not promote a worldview that espouses both welfare reforms and peace negotiations," he said.

<snip>

Labor Party officials began Sunday to work on establishing a coalition led by Peretz, which would include right-wing parties, but not Kadima. Labor was trying to recruit Shas, United Torah Judaism, Meretz, the Pensioners' Party and either the Likud or National Union-NRP, with outside support from the Arab parties.


http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/701435.html


Okay, someone's got to ask. Why is it that Labor could even for a second consider a coalition with right-wing parties, but the Arab parties are never considered when it comes to being part of a coalition government? The United Arab List won four seats, and in total Arab parties won ten seats...

Violet...