Külügyi Szemle - A Teleki László Intézet Külpolitikai Tanulmányok Központja folyóirata - 2003 (2. évfolyam)
2003 / 1. szám - KÖZEL-KELET - Gazdik Gyula: The evolution of the Israeli party system
Gyula Gazdik Central Committee in September, participants demanded a reduction in the budgetary allowance designated for the Haredim and the settlers. The faction resolved to reject the draft budget at the first parliamentary reading. This resolution directly challenged the Labour ministers' intentions with respect to the rejection of the draft only after the second or the third reading. Hence, the party's president and the cabinet's Defence Minister, Benjamin Ben-Elizier, faced a dilemma. Sharon had unequivocally informed him that he would suspend Labour ministers too, if they were to fail in endorsing the budget - even at a cost of bringing forth the Knesset elections scheduled for the following autumn. Since the opinion polls had forecast an overwhelming Likud majority, the Prime Minister could easily risk using the threat of early elections as a form of blackmail. Ben-Elizier - aware of the fact that the party's prominence rapidly declined under his one-year long leadership - would have preferred to remain in the coalition. However - in view of the mounting animosity within the party ranks with respect to his leadership - he could only achieve this end by striking a deal with Sharon. Should this fail, the secession „scenario" of early elections - despite certain defeat - could be invoked and his internal enemies isolated. This would be the only positive outcome of this option. The party leader stipulated that the internal cohesion of the party in the face of a small-scale defeat would enable him to continue the coalition. However, the compromise with Sharon failed to materialise, consequently the Labour Party rejected the prime minister's draft budget on October 30 and - after 19 months of cooperation - his ministers departed from the national unity government.32 Stipulating that an entirely right wing government could achieve the government's objectives, Sharon filled the vacuum by including the National Union and other prominent politicians. However, Sharon and Lieberman failed to reach an agreement and - in order to avoid being made responsible - Sharon announced in the Knesset on November 5 that he would dissolve parliament and call for new elections to be held within 90 days.33 The timing may be viewed as a kind of concession to his biggest intra-party rival, Netanyahu, who had agreed to be foreign minister during the last government of the parliamentary cycle, on condition that early elections are held as soon as possible. Since the retiring Knesset had resolved on November 11 to hold the next elections on January 28, 2003, attentions turned to the election of party leaders and party lists. As expected, interests focussed on the two main parties. With regard to the Labour Party - apart from Ben-Elizier - the chairman of the Knesset's Foreign and Security Committee, Haym Ramon, and the Mayor of Haifa, Amram Mitzna, had entered the contest. Among the three politicians - all three with military background - Ramon had the least chance, since he had infuriated the older party members when - as president of Histarut in the middle of the 1990s - he played a significant role in upsetting the economic empire of the Trade Union Confederation. The Iraqi-born Ben Eliezer had 54 Külügyi Szemle
