Likud Offers Labor 2 of 4 Top Positions
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir’s right-wing Likud Party reopened coalition talks with the Labor Party on Monday, asking its left-leaning rival to join it in a new government and offering as inducement half of the four most powerful Cabinet posts.
Shamir met Monday night with Labor’s leaders--Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin--in the first meeting between the political rivals since Israel’s Nov. 1 elections.
Neither side would reveal details of the discussion.
Israel Radio said Shamir offered Peres the Foreign Ministry, despite his opposition to Peres’ proposal for an international Middle East peace conference and differences over the peace process.
Likud had already agreed to offer Labor the Defense Ministry, so Labor would have two senior posts. Likud would control the prime minister’s office and the Finance Ministry.
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