PM summons National Union ministers Lieberman, Elon for talks

[Gimel]

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Thursday summoned National Union ministers Avigdor Lieberman and Benny Elon to his office for a meeting on Friday morning.

Officials in Sharon's office, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was likely to dismiss the two, so as to attain a majority in Sunday's cabinet vote on the disengagement plan, although they could not confirm that a formal decision had been taken.

Lieberman said that he was busy, and would not be able to attend the meeting.

Efforts are still being made to formulate a compromise, based on a proposal by Absorption Minister Tzipi Livni, that will allow most Likud ministers to support the plan. Attorney Yitzhak Molcho is representing Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in negotiations with Sharon's bureau chief Dov Weisglass. Livni's compromise formula allows for delaying the vote on the evacuation of settlements by at least six months.


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[The Magistrate]

1. Such A Dismissal, Ma'am, Is Long Overdue

Neither of these reptiles has any place in a national government....

[Vladimir]

2. None of these reptiles, surely?

I count 3 reptiles myself... though one is rather larger than the other two.

[The Magistrate]

3. Beginnings Must Be Made Where They Can, Sir

Sharon can hardly be expected to dismiss himself, after all.

It does seem possible this entire affair may cause the collapse of his government, and give the people of Israel one more chance to correct the mistake they have made in electing and retaining him in office.

[Forkboy]

4. "Sharon can hardly be expected to dismiss himself, after all."

Mores the pity.

thanks for squashing my dream ;-)

[Gimel]

5. sure

with such a small country with a wide spectrum of voters, it is a difficult political scene.

Offending even a few thousand people can shift the balance of power.

[The Magistrate]

6. Understood, Ma'am

Knesset coalitions are a peculiar league. The question would seem to be, will dismissal of these men offend the parties and break the coalition, or are there ambitious fellows within them ready and willing to step up and replace them within the existing government's framework?