Premier Yitzhak Shamir appears determined to stall U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz’s peace proposals if they show any sign of winning acceptance by Jordan, Haaretz reported Wednesday.
Should King Hussein give the Americans “the green light” to press their initiative in the region, Shamir will call for early elections, which could put the entire process on hold until elections are held and a new government is formed, Haaretz said.
The newspaper quoted high-ranking Likud sources as saying Tuesday night that “Shamir has no mandate to conduct negotiations with King Hussein over peace in exchange for giving up territory, and in order to get a decision on this matter, it will be necessary to go to the voters.”
The sources confirmed that a bill submitted to the Knesset Monday by Likud Knesset member David Magen was fully coordinated with and had the consent of the prime minister.
Magen’s bill calls for elections to be held July 26, although the Labor-Likud unity coalition government’s term does not expire until November, when elections are mandated by law.
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, leader of the Labor Party, said Tuesday night, “In principle I don’t oppose advancing the election date, but efforts must be made to ensure that such a change is the result of an agreement between the two parties.”
Labor prefers elections in May or June. Likud selected late July, because it expects many Labor voters will be on vacation abroad at that time. The Labor Party has authorized Knesset member Haim Ramon to prepare an early election bill, but it is not to be introduced without permission from the party leadership.
SHAMIR SAID TO REJECT U.S. PLAN
Labor ministers met late Tuesday night at Peres’ residence to discuss the prospects for Shultz’s plan, following the secretary of state’s meeting with King Hussein in London Tuesday. The ministers were told Shamir in effect has already rejected Shultz’s proposals.
Labor accepts them in principle. They call for early interim autonomy arrangements for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to be followed by an international “opening” that would launch negotiations on the permanent status of the territories. They also embody the principle of exchanging territory for peace.
Shamir and his Likud faction adamantly oppose this. Labor is prepared for territorial compromise.
Likud ministers were scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon to discuss the prospects for early elections. The newspaper Hadashot reported Wednesday that Shultz recently expressed genuine concern that advancing the Israeli elections would end, for all practical purposes, the American diplomatic initiative in the region.
Even if elections are held this summer, it could take months of wrangling to put a new government together. According to most public opinion polls, Labor and Likud would split the vote almost evenly if elections were held now, meaning that the next government would have to be a narrowly based coalition, led by either of the two major parties. Continuation of the Labor-Likud coalition has been ruled out by most political observers.
Yediot Achronot said Wednesday that contrary to other reports, the likelihood of early elections has diminished. According to the newspaper, Likud will decide only after Shamir returns from his scheduled trip to Washington at the end of this month.
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