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If-^Ss «-*2003" /> if-^ss «-*"""** DAILY STAR (BEIRUT) - 15 Januar>2003 Israeli Press Review Jewish state poised for period of'prolonged instability' The front pages of the Tel Aviv mass-circulation papers have very different looks: Yediot Ahronot leads with reports that the Americans are hinting that it is possible war on Iraq will be postponed, while Maariv highlights the fact that dozens of anesthetic syringes were found on the bodies of two Hamas militants killed near the Egyptian border on Sunday. It says the organization probably intended to use the syringes to anesthetize and kidnap Israeli soldiers. Maariv also reports "secret ties" between Israel and Sudan, and says "nationals from the country that stars on terrorist blacklists have been coming to Israel for courses in agriculture." Yediot Ahronot observes a "dark mood in the Labor Party," following its poor showing in recent public opinion polls. It says party leaders are now expected to come out categorically against a national unity government led by Premier Ariel Sharon. Sharon himself, however, in an interview with The New York Times, says he won't include "extremists from the left or the right" in his next government in other words, he is still intent on setting up a national unity government with Labor. Commenting on the Labor Party's decision to oppose national unity, Maariv political analyst Nadav Eyaj^says party leader Amram Mitzna is "firing the last bullet in his gun in attempt to hit two targets: ShaForTs national unity government and the defeatists in Labor." Eyal writes that on Monday night, after polls which showed Labor down to 20 seats and the Likud up to 32, "Labor leaders were summoned like boy scouts and girl guides to an oath-swearing ceremony. Given the party's parlous state, they were asked to face the cameras and say 'no' to a national unity government." Eyal maintains that Mitzna, along with Haim Ramon and AvraharnBurg. is convinced that thejuaicueason for Labor's weakness is the vagueness of its position on national unity. "Burg ana Kamon, especially Ramon, argue tfiat the widespread general assumption that Labor will be parTofTrTe next government is proving fatal," he reveals. "Ramon has been insisting, contrary to the advice of some of the professionals, that a commitment against a Likud-led government be made part of the campaign. Burg, head of the strategic team, cites recent internal polls clearly showing that Labor only stands to gain from ruling out participation in a national unity government led by Sharon. "And there is another thing, not connected at all to the chances of victory over Sharon," Eyal asserts. "MitznaJs displaying political skill by making it very hard for people like former party leader Binyamin Ben-Eliezer_and_DaJia Itzik to back a natioTiaTunity government in a month'stnrie, aner coming out so resolutely against it inrabor'¥ election broadcasts. Mitzna will simply hold onto the videos. The fight forjnlitiral survival thp rlay-aftprjhp elections has begun." ' On Yediot Ahronot's opinion page, economics editor Sever Plotzker asserts that "the agenda of the_next government is already set, with dramatic decisions called for in three key areas, in which failure is assured if a rr>g|itir»n emerges after the elections. "Firstly," he'writes, "there is no escaping a deep^ut in an already leanbudget for 2003. Welfare allocations cannot be reduced any further, so government operations will have to be curtailed, civil servants fired and salaries cut. Without Labor and the small One Nation trade union party in the coalition, this can't be done. Sharon, however, in his stressed election campaign, is burning bridges with Labor. This suits Mitzna, who is campaigning on a promise to stay out of a Sharon coalition. At the moment the prospects for an economic-crisis emergency government appear low. "Secondly, the likelihood of a war on Iraq soon after the elections is receding and the Bush administration's time fusejor an IsraeljiPalestinian solution is getting shorter. Washington is shuffling toward the European and ~ especially the British position on the Middle bast. I he friendship between George W. Bush and Sharon is firm, but the American president is not tethered by it, and his Yoad map' will very government's table^ It willbe an unofficial ultimatum: take it, or forget about "Jor cannot expect Mitzna tcTgive him the kind of broad~support to handle this kind of di Ben-Eliezer and Shimon Peres gave him over the last two years of the national uni hawkish wing within his party getting stronger, an impasse is thus emerging. "Thirdly," according to Plotzker, "the divisive processes in Israeli society, which we. vejais of the intifada, are beginning to erupt. At election time, common sense goes (by take over. Sores that had hSaled reopen and campaign propaganda fouls the entirj; ati.
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