Sharon Cabinet Shake-up

May 21, 2002

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Monday ordered the dismissal of Cabinet ministers from the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, setting off a political crisis that could threaten the survival of his broad-based coalition. Sharon also fired deputy ministers from another ultra-Orthodox Jewish party, United Torah Judaism, in effect expelling the two parties from his government. The decision came after the two parties failed to support the government on an emergency economic plan presented in parliament. However, the dismissals would not take effect immediately, leaving time for last-minute wheeling and dealing.

The prime minister "this evening ordered the immediate dismissal of four Shas ministers ... following this evening's Knesset vote against the government's economic program," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

Expelling the two parties would erase Sharon's huge parliamentary majority, part of the broad-based "national unity" government he set up after a landslide election victory last year. If both parties leave the coalition, Sharon would command exactly half of the 120 seats in the parliament and could be vulnerable to a no-confidence motion that would topple his government and force elections.

Absence of a clear majority would put Sharon at the mercy of opposing forces inside his remaining coalition members (AP) — Labor, which favors wide-ranging concessions to the Palestinians for peace and the National Religious Party, representing the interests of Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

A spokesman for Sharon said the dismissal notices had been sent to the ministers by messenger. According to Israeli law, the dismissals are to go into effect 48 hours after the letters are delivered.

In the past, resignations and dismissals have been pulled back at the last moment, after differences were resolved. The economic bill was defeated by three votes, 47-44, with Shas abstaining. Shas, with 17 seats, is the third-largest party in the parliament after the moderate Labor, with 23 seats, and Sharon's hawkish Likud with 19. United Torah Judaism has five seats.

Sharon crafted his broad-based government in March 2001, saying that the nation needed unity to confront Palestinian violence. The coalition brought together Likud and Labor, bitter rivals with opposite views about how to deal with the Palestinian issue.

Shas and United Torah Judaism joined the Cabinet in exchange for support for their religious, social and educational institutions.

Israel's economy has been in a tailspin because of the world economic downturn and the effects of almost 20 months of Mideast violence.

Shas headed the ministries of health, labor, interior and religious affairs. A fifth minister, who is not a member of parliament, said he would resign in solidarity with the other four

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