Free Republic

Dec. 13, 2004 1:21 | Updated Dec. 13, 2004 13:20 Bye-bye, religious parties By ELLIOT JAGER Michael Melchior and Moshe Feiglin make strange bedfellows. Yet in talking to both men last week, I was struck by how much they had in common. They agreed that the era of religious political parties in Israel was coming to a close, that mixing politics and Judaism had been detrimental to civil society, and that an alternative way had to be found to instill Jewish cultural values into the body politic. The Danish-born Melchior is a velvet-yarmulke-wearing Orthodox rabbi and Labor-Meimad Knesset member. But...

Dec. 9, 2004 1:16 | Updated Dec. 9, 2004 22:58 Early results: Likud endorses national-unity government By GIL HOFFMAN Prime Minister Ariel Sharon casts his ballot at the Likud party meeting in Tel Aviv. Sharon is seeking his party's approval to include Labor in the government Photo: AP With most of the results in by 11 p.m. Thursday night, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon received a big political boost when the Likud central committee voted 65 percent to 35 percent to authorize him to begin negotiations on a national-unity government with Labor and haredi parties. Sharon, who received election returns on...

Aug. 1, 2004 20:10 | Updated Aug. 2, 2004 17:45 Shinui reverses objections to coalition with Haredim By GIL HOFMAN AND NINA GILBERT Avraham Ravitz: "kick them in some sensitive spot" Photo: Knesset Lapid: "Sometimes you need to risk being asked 'why did you promise'." Photo: AP "There is a moment when you need to give up a bit of your ego and risk being asked 'why did you promise'," Shinui leader Yossef Lapid told reporters Monday after his Shinui faction voted overwhelmingly to consider staying in the government if United Torah Judaism becomes a supporter as long as the...

Oct. 9, 2003 Peres: Israel has 'Schwarzenegger government' By GIL HOFFMAN Labor Party Chairman Shimon Peres vowed Thursday to keep his party in the opposition, despite the void opening by the apparent National Religious Party defection from the coalition. Peres denied reports that close associates of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had contacted him. He said that on the contrary, he intends to unify the opposition in an attempt to strengthen the fight against Sharon's government. "The NRP can relax," Peres said. "We would never join a government that closes the door to any dialogue, whether outside [with the Palestinians] or...

Last Update: 08/10/2003 23:10 Sharon: Left-wing is collaborating with the Palestinians By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent Prime Minister Ariel Sharon harshly criticized the Labor Party and the Israeli left wing on Wednesday evening and charged them with collaborating with the Palestinians in an effort to topple the government. Sharon made his remarks in Bat Yam during a Likud event supporting the party's candidate for in the coastal city. In response to recent critical remarks emanating from the left, Sharon said that "there are recent cynical political attempts on the part of the Labor Party and the left to topple the...

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said today that he would not rescind his dismissal of four Shas ministers after they voted against the government's emergency economic plan in the Knesset Monday night. Finance Minister Silvan Shalom said that the plan was non-negotiable, but Shas leaders said they were open to talks with Sharon and Shalom over terms that would enable the party to remain in the coalition...(more) Click here for more

The Pretender to the Throne Can Benjamin Netanyahu save Israel? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Avi Davis/Jewsweek.com Jewsweek.com | His hair is a little thinner; the flesh a little thicker around the gills. But the stentorian voice and rolling command of the English language are unmistakable. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's former Prime Minister, darling of the cable news shows and right wing gadfly is back. And in a big way. Ariel Sharon's declining fortunes in the polls and the increasing disaffection...