Behind the Headlines the Cracks in Israeli Politics

The “peace process” with Egypt has caused broad and painful splits within the fabric of Israeli politics. Not only have parties and groupings clashed and been driven asunder, but long standing personal friendships and alliances have also cracked under the weight of political and ideological disputes.

It was the “peace process” and a distrust of the government’s pursuance of it, that drove part of the Democratic Movement for Change (DMC) to establish a separate parliamentary faction, Shai. The result of the Camp David summit prompted Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Yigael Horowitz to resign and to urge upon his political group, the La’am component in the Likud to openly challenge the government’s policy.

The Cabinet’s readiness to impose various restrictions on the continuation of Jewish settlement on the West Bank has led to a deep rift between the Gush Emunim and their erstwhile spiritual and political sponsors, Premier Menachem Begin and Education Minister Zevulun Hammer of the National Religious Party.

The December deadlock in the peace negotiations finally convinced Defense Minister Ezer Weizman that Israel had a cumulative responsibility for the breakdown of the talks, on allegation that sharpened the differences between himself and Begin. Against the background of the cruel alternatives that Israel faces, the Labor Party, too is in a state of dangerous divisiveness.

One section of the party strives for a more “hawkish” line towards the peace negotiations, while the “doves” advocate a clear image of moderation for the party. These differences in Labor are exacerbated by personal rivalries. Former Premier Yitzhak Rabin on the one hand, and former Foreign Minister Yigal Allon on the other, do not seem to acquiesce in the leadership of Shimon Peres, the former Defense Minister who is chairman of the party.

MOST MOVING CHANGE IN PERSONAL RELATIONS

But perhaps the most moving change in personal relations that has been wrought by the peace process is that in the relationship between Begin and his veteran follower Minister-Without-Portfolio Haim Landau.

Landau was brought into the Cabinet by Begin in recognition of faithful service and friendship in the Irgun underground and later during their long exile in the Israeli political wilderness. When he became a member of the Likud government, Landau was a politician-in-retirement. He had quit his post In the Herut hierarchy before the elections and had voluntarily removed his candidacy from the Likud list to the 1977 Knesset.

But Landau, who is 62 years old, underwent a political resurrection after the Likud triumph at the polls. Begin invited him to join his Cabinet and he was looked upon as a man likely to become one of the most influential policymakers in the new regime. Landau was in fact, the only veteran of the “fighting family” (the term used to describe the Heruf-Irgun “old guard”) who joined Begin’s Cabinet.

The other Herut representatives were relative newcomers who never shared the underground experience with Begin. But with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s visit and the beginning of the peace process, the expectations that Landau would play a major role in crystallizing government policy were not fulfilled.

BECOMES THE MOST VOCIFEROUS OPPONENT

Begin brought to bear on his previous ideological principles a hard, pragmatic reconsideration, while Landau stuck to the old ideology with rigid faithfulness. Consequently instead of taking part in shaping Begin’s approach to the negotiations Landau became the most vociferous opponent of Begin’s policy within the Cabinet. Remarkably, though, Landau’s struggle for a different policy has won the respect of his Cabinet colleagues, even though most of them disagree with him.

The repeated instances when Landau has criticized Begin’s suggestions during Cabinet debates have enhanced the prestige and standing of the veteran politician who only two years ago was mocked by a popular TV comedian as “past it.” From time to time Landau’s strictures raise Begin’s ire. The frequent clashes between these old friends whose previous relations resembled those of a teacher and his zealous pupil embarrass the Herut establishment.

In a recent interview with this reporter, Landau claimed that apart from the differences of opinion concerning the peace process he and Begin see eye-to-eye on the other national issues Landau explained that the dispute between him and Begin is over the extent of the risks that Israel can undertake in order to test Sadat’s true aims.

While Begin is ready to return to Egypt almost half of the Sinai peninsula, before coming to an agreement about the future of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Landau objects to any withdrawal in Sinai before discussing–and agreeing–with the Egyptians on the Palestinian problem.

OBJECTS TO MAJOR TERRITORIAL CONCESSIONS

Landau fears that it may prove impossible to detach Egypt from the all Arab commitment to win for the Palestinians the right of self-determination. Therefore, he objects to Israel making a major territorial concession in Sinai before being able to test Egypt’s readiness to accept Israel’s solution to the Palestinian problem. Begin, on the other hand, bases his policy on Egypt’s desire to recover the Sinai.

He believes that by returning the peninsula in stages, Israel may induce Cairo to construct a genuine peace without fulfilling its declarative positions with regard to the future of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

One wonders whether Landau’s above description of his differences with Begin is precisely accurate, or whether it reflects an effort to play down the dispute between them. Some Cabinet members have the clear impression that the conceptual conflict between these two men is more profound than Landau, represents it to outsiders. They say it expresses itself in almost every debate the Cabinet has held in the recent stages of the negotiations between Israel and Egypt.

Landau, at any rate, intends to continue fighting for his views inside the Cabinet and is prepared to continue to precipitate unpleasant confrontations with Begin.