Shimon Peres leaves Labour Party, endorses Sharon

by jandsm Wed Nov 30th, 2005 at 01:21:34 PM EST

Shimon Peres has just left the Labour Party of Israel to join Ariel Sharon's new political organization.

I am just posting this because he made a very interesting suggestion. I quote from my memory of the press conference: "Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories should form an economic triangle, that should get a special status in the European Union."

This actually sounds interesting and worth a debate for me.

Shimon Peres leaves Labour Party, endorses Sharon | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Shimon Peres leaves Labour Party, (none / 0)

I need some education here...isn't Peres really different politically from Sharon? What's behind this?

"Once in awhile we get shown the light, in the strangest of places, if we look at it right" - Hunter/Garcia

by whataboutbob on Wed Nov 30th, 2005 at 02:58:14 PM EST

Re: Shimon Peres leaves Labour Party, endorses Sha (none / 0)

Is he just really pissed about losing the leadership to Peretz? And haven't Peres and Sharon been friends for years? Nevertheless, it is good news for Kadima and bad for Labor.

by Rick in TX on Wed Nov 30th, 2005 at 06:28:30 PM EST

Re: Shimon Peres leaves Labour Party, endorses Sha (none / 1)

Wherever there is politics in Israel, no matter where, you will bump into the conniving phenomenon called Schimon Peres. You can only wonder whether this man is anything more than a professional supporter of the amazing, ever-reappearing Schimon Peres himself. Maybe someday he will truly get to play European politics in Brussels. Imagine that, finally a European in Brussels. In Iran some people think that after Turkey it will be their turn to join the EU.

by Quentin on Wed Nov 30th, 2005 at 06:48:13 PM EST

Re: Shimon Peres leaves Labour Party, endorses Sha (none / 0)

That may be what the Euromediterranean partnership (and the "Alliance of civilizations") is all about.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Nov 30th, 2005 at 06:50:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Shimon Peres leaves Labour Party, endorses Sha (none / 0)

Yes, that MAY be what it is all about, but you can't be sure. What is that, the 'alliance of civilizations'? I've never heard of it before.

by Quentin on Thu Dec 1st, 2005 at 04:25:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]

The Alliance of Civilizations (none / 0)

I have been meaning to write a well-documented diary about this, but without success, so I might as well write an undocumented comment. Check Google news, you might catch BBC's coverage from last week.

In his address at the opening of the 59th UN General Assembly in September last year, Spanish PM Zapatero proposed that the threat of terrorism was best confronted by an "alliance of civilizations" between the "West" and the Islamic world. This was clearly a rhetorical reversal of Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" that seems to be behind Bush and Bin Laden's approach to the "new world order". The proposal was greeted with derision by the Spanish and American right wing (if you google "Alliance of Civilizations" you find mostly right-wing bloggers who "miss Aznar"), but it immediately elicited interest from Turkey and the UN. Turkey and Spain share their role as cultural and geographical bridges between Europe and Islam, so that is not surprising.

Earlier this month (just last week, I believe), coinciding with the Euromediterranean summit, Zapatero and Erdogan officially "launched" the Alliance of Civilizations. I am not quite sure what it is they are "launching" by way of institutions or policies, but the public pronouncements are all there.

I have pointed out that Zapatero has some powerful allies in the EU to push this: the President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell; and the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the omnipresent Javier Solana.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Dec 1st, 2005 at 05:49:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Alliance of Civilizations? (none / 1)

The term sounds to me like a piece of pompous hype that can only go nowhere or backfire. Anyway, Zapatero and the rest of them would do all of us a favor by dropping the charged word 'civilization', which is a source of endless misunderstanding and division. (Makes me think immediately of Mr. Bliar's overarticulated blethering.) And most probably 'alliance' is hyperbolic, too ambitious, unrealistic. Why not: 'Friendship/ Cooperation between the Islamic and Western Worlds'. A good, old-fashioned folksy notion which brings us back to the times before the world was overrun by religious madmen and overinflated right-wing intellectual nuts. More tellingly, though, the two categories are not parallel, as follows: 'Islamic and Christian Worlds' (Zapatero would note dare and where would Israel fit in!) or 'Western and Eastern Worlds' (distorting, meaningless). So who is actually getting together? We hardly need all these bridges, the childish symbolism of the awful, awful Euro banknotes. After all, one day there will be a factual bridge between Spain and Morocco, for instance. Instead we rather might need TRUE acceptance of lasting cultural differences between people, and the recognition that not everyone wants to be the same, not even like Europe, although Turkey might want that, at least Ataturk did nearly a century ago.

by Quentin on Thu Dec 1st, 2005 at 09:02:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Shimon Peres leaves Labour Party, endorses Sha (none / 0)

The whole of Peres' generation (Ben Gurion, Menachem Begin, Sharon, Peres, even Rabin) are hawks who sharpened their political teeth fighting the British and then the Palestinians. Peres just happens to be a liberal hawk, and Sharon is a conservative hawk.

Peretz and Netanyahu belong to the younger generation who grew up in the State of Israel.

What I find most surprising is not Peres's stance, but Sharon's. Israel's labour politicians seem to be more pragmatic, where Likudniks tend to be more consistent in their hawkish politics. There is something that Sharon knows that we don't. He has decided it is in the best interest of Israel to actually withdraw from Gaza and a substantial chunk of the West Bank.

Remember Labour has been in a national unity government with Likud over the last few years, united by the "external threat" of the second intifada. What has happened is that the left wing of the Labour party has taken control of Labour and the right wing of Likud was in the process of taking control as well, and the hawkish, old generation centre has split off.

I really wonder what is really behind Sharon's move. Maybe he realizes the Bush adventure in the Middle East is going to end up really badly so Israel had better stop being at war with all their neighbours while they still have the upper hand? I don't know. Maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part. Peres' comment about a triangle with the Palestinians and Jordanians is intriguing.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Nov 30th, 2005 at 06:48:35 PM EST

Watch Israel Move Towards PEACE! (none / 1)

≈Cross-posted from my diary ::
Breaking Sharon WB Pull-out 2008 ¶ Secret EU Report & Rafah Border Open ≈

VP Shimon Peres :: Shock Loss Labor Leadership!
Histadrut Labor Chairman Amir Peretz Wins Leadership Race
By Yair Ettinger, Mazal Mualem and Daniel Ben-Simon

TEL AVIV Nov. 10, 2005 -- In an unexpected result, Histadrut labor federation Chairman Amir Peretz was named the new chairman of the Labor Party, defeating the incumbent and favorite, Vice Premier Shimon Peres,

The new Labor chief quickly reiterated his intention of pulling the party out of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government, propelling the country into political disarray and advancing the likelihood of early general elections.

"We will notify the prime minister that we want to leave. We want to leave... certainly out of a desire to turn the Labor Party into an alternative that intends to take power in the next elections," he said.

«« click on pic for info Histadrut labor leader
Amir Peretz celebrating his victory in the Labor leadership race in Tel Aviv early today. Haaretz - Guy Raivitz

"Amir will discuss with the prime minister an agreed date for an election," said Yuli Tamir, a Labor legislator and Peretz supporter.

Watch Israel Move Towards PEACE!

Great seismic change in Israeli politics in the past few weeks, everyone should read and be aware of the changes, as the chance for peace is on the increase IMHO. New Labor leader Peretz is moving the party to social issues: public health, schooling and public transport. Living below the poverty line is 25% of the population and one third of all children.

«« click on pic for story

Soup kitchens and unemployment is weighing heavy on Israeli society, as a third of the government budget is spend on the military and for security. The traditional Labor party has seen its leadership from the wealthy elite from white Europeans. Peretz is seen as a man of the people, coming from a community with a majority of Russian and North African immigrants.

As seen below, Vice-Premier Shimon Peres is showing his true colors and may join Sharon's Kadima party.

Sharon's Kadima Leads All Parties in Israel

TEL AVIV (Angus Reid Global Scan) Nov. 26 -- The Kadima party formed earlier this month by Ariel Sharon would head the government after Israel's next legislative election, according to three recent voting intention polls. The results of a survey by Teleseker published in Maariv suggest that Kadima would secure 34 seats in the Israeli Parliament, followed by the Labour party with 26, and the Likud party with 13.

A poll by the Dahaf Institute published in Yediot Ahronot gives Kadima 33 seats in the Knesset, with Labour in second place with 26, and Likud in third place with 13.

A survey by Smith Researching and Consulting published in the Jerusalem Post puts Kadima ahead with 32 seats.

Polling Report - 2006 Knesset Election

Peres mulls joining Sharon

Vice Premier Shimon Peres meanwhile confirmed reports that he was approached by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new party, and said that he would decide whether to join Kadima in the coming days. Peres told Israel Radio:

"The only thing before my eyes is the country's interest, and chances to bring about peace. There are no personal considerations in my decision."

Shimon Peres: Vance Lecturer

≈ Posted earlier in a diary ::
Iraq War Grief Daily Witness (photo) Day 146 ≈

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Thu Dec 1st, 2005 at 02:51:22 AM EST

Re: Watch Israel Move Towards PEACE! Sure? (none / 1)

Whether Israel moves towards peace, a just one or not, remains to be seen. But it is definitely moving towards accommodation, let's say, detente: force majeure! No doubt Sharon sees the writing on the wall. Israel simply cannot go on the way things are now and prosper, remain strong. Yes Palestine and Jordan, to be sure, but the real prize will be a settlement with Syria.

by Quentin on Thu Dec 1st, 2005 at 09:09:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Shimon Peres leaves Labour Party, endorses Sharon | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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Shimon Peres leaves Labour Party, endorses Sharon

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