Labor-Likud coalition talks stall

Labor and Likud traded insults and accusations yesterday after Labor was dissatisfied with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's offer of the Interior Ministry, as well as five other ministries and a special vice premier's slot for Shimon Peres.

Meanwhile, progress was made with United Torah Judaism and a solution to the Shas opposition to disengagement seems to have been found - Shas will only join the government after the January 9 Palestinian Authority presidential elections, which presumably will be followed by meetings between Sharon and the apparent victor of that vote, Mahmoud Abbas. That way, the spiritual patron of Shas, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who has been vehemently opposed to the unilateral disengagement, will be able to change his position, since the disengagement will result from a dialogue with the Palestinians.

Labor said it was not satisfied with the special slot for Peres, and the interior, national infrastructure, housing, communications, absorption, and either environmental affairs or tourism ministries.

Labor wants at least one of the law enforcement ministries - justice or public security - and is demanding the Transportation Ministry instead of tourism. It also wants responsibility for the Israel Land Administration as part of the National Infrastructures Ministry and is demanding control over the Israel Broadcasting Authority to accompany the Communications Ministry.

But after Sharon gave in to Labor's demand to get the Interior Ministry, he may have reached the end of the tether provided by the Likud Central Committee when it okayed the negotiations with Labor. A key element that persuaded the central committee to approve the negotiations was MK Omri Sharon's promise to keep the powerful Interior Ministry. Sharon was already facing unrest yesterday in the Likud over his decision to give it up.

Thus, Likud sources close to the prime minister were saying that Labor was "playing musical chairs" and that the Interior Ministry would not wait forever for Labor and that he would refuse to accept them as ministers without portfolio, as some in Labor suggested yesterday.

Sharon intervened in the negotiations to call Peres to make the offer of the ministries and to say that it was final, with no more changes to come.

Likud sources said that if Labor doesn't accept the offer, Sharon won't hesitate to go to elections and blame Labor for foiling his plan for a unity government. Itzik said, "The prime minister can threaten the Likud Central Committee, not us. I'm not a minister in his government yet and he can't fire me. Not all his Likud ministers support disengagement and they have 90 percent of the portfolios. All of us in Labor support disengagement."

Labor MKs are busy lobbying members of their central committee, which is slated to convene next week to elect the ministers from the party. Sharon has already indicated he is ready to postpone presentation of the government from Monday to Wednesday, apparently to give Labor time to choose its ministers.