Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., May 06, 2008 Iyyar 1, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:12 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Gaydamak, former Pensioners set sights on cabinet By Yair Ettinger The chairman of the Social Justice party, Arcadi Gaydamak, said yesterday he would be pleased to be the minister of diaspora affairs in the Olmert government. Speaking in English at a press conference he called to announce the establishment of his first power base in the Knesset, he told reporters, "I have a great deal of experience in the area of Jewish communities in the world." The members of Gaydamak's new faction - formerly Pensioners Party lawmakers - were seated alongside him: MKs Moshe Sharoni, Elhanan Glazer and Sara Marom Shalev. Sharoni, chairman of the new faction, said the Pensioners Party had "betrayed the pensioners," adding that he had seen the Pensioners Party as "the home of Israel's pensioners, but unfortunately this house changed for the worse before my eyes and the eyes of my friends in the past year: principles are no longer principles." Sharoni called Gaydamak "the leading and outstanding social leader in Israel." Advertisement The signed agreement with Gaydamak gives the three breakaway lawmakers a parliamentary future and perhaps even a ministerial one, if Gaydamak realizes his plan to become, as he put it, "a significant force" in the next Knesset. Sharoni, Glazer and Marom Shalev have been promised three of the five top slots on the new party's list. Sharoni would land the faction's most senior cabinet post if and when it joins the coalition. Gaydamak also pledged to fund the wages of the 22 staff members the three MKs will employ, at a cost of tens of thousands of shekels a month. The press conference was held at Gaydamak's well-appointed offices in Jerusalem, which were festooned with flags of the state and of the city, flowers and a giant photograph of Menachem Begin. The flags apparently showed that Gaydamak's dream to be minister of diaspora affairs is no greater than his dream to be Jerusalem's next mayor. So as not to impair that dream, the new faction's basic principles include a clause that the status quo on state and religious matters will be preserved. Gaydamak did not reveal details of his new party's political platform. To the new immigrant public, which is interested in his stand regarding civil marriage, he said, "We will not decide for the rabbinate." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Shimon goes green Peres says to fight terror Israel should reduce its dependence on oil. Voices of heroism IDF releases audio recordings from famed 1976 Entebbe raid.

Read & React Documents reveal U.K. tried to ship Holocaust survivors back to Germany Responses: 199 Akiva Eldar: It's time for Tzipi Livni as PM, rather than Netanyahu Responses: 78 Maoz: Ultra-Orthodox make Judaism repulsive to Jews Responses: 113 Peres: Fight terror - reduce global dependence on oil Responses: 98 More Headlines 23:08 Officials: PM, Abbas made 'significant progress' on borders issue 00:54 IDF releases audio recordings from famed 1976 Entebbe rescue 23:26 Peres: Fight terror - reduce global dependence on oil 23:58 Reform Jews open Israel's first state-funded non-Orthodox synagogue 18:31 U.S.: Hezbollah training Iraqi Shi'ite extremists in Iran 00:58 Italian president defends book fair honoring Israeli writers 22:28 Israel food giant Strauss seeks to become Starbucks of world 00:56 Israel greets 400 olim in gala event marking Int'l Aliyah Day 23:27 UN: Israel has given us enough fuel for 20 more days of Gaza aid 18:29 Police storm Warsaw hotel room, free three captive Jewish teens 17:55 Court convicts two members of Petah Tikvah neo-Nazi cell Previous Editions Select Day 05 may 04 may 02 may 01 may 30 apr 29 apr 28 apr 27 apr 25 apr 24 apr 23 apr 22 apr

Special Offers Advertisement Dead Sea Products Buy Dead Sea mineral skin care and beauty products. Coupon code Haaretz for 10% off. Pardes Institute Summer Sessions http://www.pardes.org.il/ FAREWELL ISRAEL New Film The Coming War for Islamic Revival - View Movie Trailer The interest rates haven't changed But your profits will! Learn Hebrew online with Israel's best teachers Sign up for a trial lesson today Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved