Israel: Shas Party: Decision not to join gov’t final…take that, Tzippi!
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Shas chairman Eli Yishai said Friday that the decision made earlier by the Council of Torah Sages for the party not to join the coalition was final. “As I said, the Council of Torah Sages decided this morning after a telephone survey and in accordance with the directives of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef that Shas will not join the government,” said Yishai at a press conference next to his home in Jerusalem. “The decision is final.”
Yishai said his party’s demands for the allocation of more funds to poor Israelis and for a commitment that Jerusalem remain united, demands which were not met by Kadima, were not personal, but were for the benefit of the entire country. “We have made our decision according to our principles. Shas cannot be bought. We will stick to out goals and principles,” he said.
“A year ago, the decision was made in Shas that if [the division of] Jerusalem is discussed, it would withdraw from the government. Even more so, it will not join [a government] without a commitment not to negotiate over Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not for sale,” Yishai continued.
However, the Shas leader hinted that the party could still change its mind, telling Israel Radio that Shas had not decided that new elections should be held. The decision was in Kadima’s hands, he said, and “if they don’t meet our demands, we won’t be able to join.”
Associates of prime minister-designate Tzipi Livni were exploring the option of a narrow 66-MK coalition, consisting of Kadima, Labor, Meretz, GIL and UTJ, but Army Radio reported that they were advising her to go to elections, since she would then be seen by the public as someone who didn’t give in to financial extortion.
The associates said Livni was steadfast in her position not to pay an “irresponsible” price just to avoid elections.
Meanwhile, supporters in Kadima of Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz were continuing to oppose a narrow coalition and several of them declared that they would vote against such a government in the Knesset, said the radio station[…]