Since the Likud rebels are not expected to come through for
him, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon needs Shas in the coalition
to get the budget passed. Without a budget there is no
government, no coalition and certainly no disengagement, but
rather elections and a bid by Netanyahu for leadership.
Shas knows the score and has made an ultimatum: return
Children's Allowances. Shas is only demanding partial
restoration, but their proviso comes to over NIS 1.5 billion
($350 million).
So far the Finance Ministry and Prime Minister's Office have
stood firm against the demand, primarily because it would
mean restoring Children's Allowances to the Arabs as well.
The Likud claims Shas has been offered several good
alternatives to assist large families but Shas has refused
them. One option was to substantially increase government
subsidies of education fees at chareidi institutions for
families with four or more children and to force principals
to lower fees to ensure the savings reaches the parents.
Although the proposal sounds very appealing, Shas is holding
out for the Children's Allowances. "If Sharon wants us in his
coalition, and he does," said a member of the Shas
negotiating team, "then he will have to pay by giving the
Children's Allowances. That's the price."
But the Finance Ministry is standing its ground. One of its
arguments is based on simple math. UTJ, with its 5 MKs,
received NIS 290 million for supporting the budget; Labor,
with its 19 MKs, received NIS 1 billion; so Shas, with its 11
MKs, should receive NIS 600-650 million, but certainly not
the NIS 1.5 billion they are asking for.
Shas sees the matter from a different perspective. As the
second and third readings of the budget approach the deadline
at the end of March, the price goes up. One shekel two months
ago is now worth four shekels and in another few weeks it
will be worth eight shekels.
Shas also says that without a good ministry for Eli Yishai,
preferably the Interior Ministry, joining the coalition is
out of the question. The problem is that all of the
ministries—including the Interior Ministry with Ophir
Pines at the helm—are already taken.
To deal with this situation the current plan is to return
Livni to the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, which she
headed for the past two years, thereby freeing the Justice
Ministry for Pines. Shas predicts that Pines, one of the
Knesset's leading proponents of issues that are part of the
purview of the Justice Ministry, would not refuse the
offer.
The big question mark is whether Sharon and his son, Omri,
who must be keeping a watchful eye on what takes place in the
Justice Ministry because of the threat of prosecution of
them, would agree to have a man like Ophir Pines step in.
Peres and the Bureaus
At a recent Knesset plenum, a proposal to raise the price of
milk came up on the agenda. Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz
expressed deep regret over having to take this step, but said
there was no alternative due to the crisis among dairy
farmers who are losing money on every liter of milk sold.
Several MKs, including Rabbi Moshe Gafni (Degel HaTorah) and
Yitzchak Cohen, spoke out against the government's two years
of benevolence toward the rich and abuse of the poor. Cohen
went one step further by remonstrating against the excessive
funding lavished on ministers and deputy ministers with or
without portfolio, who often occupy totally superfluous
positions.
A prime example of wasted spending is the millions lavished
on Shimon Peres who, despite his illustrious title of Vice
Prime Minister, serves as a minister without portfolio in a
meaningless position created merely to please and honor
him.
Yet Peres cannot seem to manage without several offices. As
former Prime Minister he has a bureau in Tel Aviv and as Vice
Prime Minister he has a second office . . . in the very same
building. In fact if he suddenly feels an urge to promote
peace he can simply step into the elevator and glide down the
hall to the Peres Peace Center, which is also housed in the
same building. (In the name of fairness it must be noted the
Peres Peace Center is maintained through private funding.)
Of course Peres also has his Jerusalem bureau, located at the
Prime Minister's Office. And if running back and forth
between these offices leaves the Vice Prime Minister in need
of a quiet corner, he can always seek refuge in his old
office in the Knesset Building.
If the government secretariat just so happened to ask Peres
to respond to the motions regarding the increase in the price
of milk it would be interesting to see at which office he
would prepare his response.
