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Netanyahu: I will be prime minister soon
Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Wednesday vowed to unseat Ariel Sharon as head of the Likud Party and return to the prime minister's chair in the near future.It's very possible there will be a new Israeli PM, but BiBi might be jumping the gun a little. Now is not the time for Lukud infighting. Supporters of the former prime minister said he recognized the falling-out between himself and Sharon would not be mended, and was preparing for a definitive split within the party. The open challenge to Sharon's rule came less than a day after Netanyahu threatened to resign his critical post if the prime minister did not agree to put his Gaza-first retreat plan to a national referendum. Netanyahu Thursday made clear he had no intention of backing down, even if other senior ministers withdrew from the ultimatum. Over the past month, Sharon has repeatedly expressed his confidence that early elections would see him remain at the nation's helm with increased political power. Sharon has stated on several occasions that he would prefer fresh elections to a referendum on his "disengagement" plan, though he desires neither. But Israel's Channel One News on Wednesday said Netanyahu had a different take on the outcome of the next national election, whenever it may be held. "If there will be an election, I will be Likud chairman," he was quoted as saying, referring to the fact that prior to a national poll, the various parties would hold internal primaries. When questioned by The Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu's office would not confirm the quote, but did say the finance minister believed there would be elections soon and that he would likely run. The Sharon camp issued blistering criticism of Netanyahu following the reports, vowing to make sure that even after Sharon retired, Netanyahu would never return to power. While Netanyahu has for nearly two years maintained a low profile politically, Sharon's relentless drive to uproot the Jews of Gaza has caused the long-simmering animosity between the two men to once again boil to the surface. As the Knesset prepared to vote Tuesday on Sharon's retreat plan, Netanyahu warned that the prime minister's tactics in pushing forward his initiative were creating a deadly rift in the nation. But Netanyahu's calls for a referendum in order to salvage unity among the people fell on deaf ears. So following the vote, Netanyahu informed Sharon he would resign as finance minister if the prime minister did not approve of a referendum within two weeks. On Thursday, Netanyahu insisted he would not back down on his demand, even though other Likud ministers had already rescinded their support for fear of losing their jobs. Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-10-29 |
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