Sharon Calls for Support After 2 Rightists Quit Cabinet (original) (raw)
World|Sharon Calls for Support After 2 Rightists Quit Cabinet
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- Oct. 16, 2001
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October 16, 2001
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Prime Minister Ariel Sharon urgently appealed for continued support today after two far-right ministers quit his cabinet, accusing him of buckling under American pressure to take a softer line toward the Palestinians.
The defections dented Mr. Sharon's majority but left him with an overpowering coalition in the Israeli Parliament. His reaction -- seemingly out of proportion to the immediate political threat -- carried an implicit message for the United States that he could not move quickly toward peace without jeopardizing his hold on power.
But in the long run, the departure of the ministers most adamantly opposed to sitting down with the Palestinians could free Mr. Sharon to embark on substantive negotiations.
In a speech to Parliament this afternoon, Mr. Sharon was clearly trying to shore up his support on the right. He noted that two previous conservative prime ministers who were toppled were replaced by moderates or left-wingers eager to strike a deal with Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader.
''You have caused me great anguish,'' Mr. Sharon said, addressing the defectors. ''But, by contrast, you have given Arafat great pleasure today. For him this is a dream.''
The fissure in Mr. Sharon's coalition, evident since the United States started pushing for progress toward peace, gave way after Mr. Sharon decided to withdraw troops today from two Palestinian neighborhoods in Hebron that Israel occupied 10 days ago. He told Parliament that the troops would return if Palestinian security forces did not make good on pledges to prevent sniper fire on Israeli settlers there.
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