Shamir Presents His Coalition Cabinet, Says It’s Needed to Prevent Palestine State

Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir presented his new Likud-Labor government to the Knesset (Parliament) today, saying the nation needed a broad-based coalition to withstand world pressures on Israel to accept a Palestinian state.

Shamir also called on the United States to reverse its recent decision to hold talks with the Palestine Liberation Organization, which Israel considers a terrorist organization.

The agreement between Shamir’s right-wing Likud Party and the left-leaning Labor Party headed by Shimon Peres comes more than seven weeks after deadlocked general elections Nov. 1.

The new 28-member Cabinet took office after the 120-member Knesset approved the coalition in a vote of confidence by an 84-19 margin with three abstentions. Fourteen legislators were absent or did not vote.

“The developments in the international arena . . . require us to bridge our differences and solve problems together,” Shamir told the legislature.

“I make specific reference to the multifaceted political propaganda campaign of the terrorist organizations, their friends and supporters against Israel,” Shamir said, referring to the PLO.

Shamir also said the new government would stick by its policy of refusing contacts with the PLO.

“Unfortunately we have been forced to strongly differ from the last decision of the U.S. Administration concerning the dialogue with the PLO,” Shamir said.

“According to our knowledge, (the PLO) has not changed its skin, its habits, its evil charter and the terror that it uses,” Shamir added. “We still hope the United States will reconsider its decision concerning the PLO.”

Shamir spoke after Likud and Labor signed a nine-page coalition agreement at a brief ceremony at which ministers also drank a toast of “L’Chaim,” the traditional Jewish toast meaning “to life.”

The policy guidelines and distribution of Cabinet posts differed little from that of the outgoing Labor-Likud coalition formed after indecisive elections in 1984.

Shamir, who will serve as prime minister for the next four years, said he would immediately launch a peace offensive, but his proposal appeared no different from previous plans rejected by Israel’s Arab neighbors.

Shamir said he could have formed a narrow coalition government with small religious and right-wing parties but preferred to share power with Labor to withstand growing international pressure on Israel to negotiate with the PLO and accept a Palestinian state.

“We must unify all the nation’s political forces to build a national unity government to repel these dangers,” Shamir said.

He also called on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip to end their yearlong uprising against Israeli occupation, in which more than 330 Palestinians and 14 Israelis have died.

At this point, his speech was interrupted by shouts from two left-wing Arab legislators who support negotiations with the PLO.