Shamir Wants New Cabinet to Focus on Soviet Jews, Avoid Splits

Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, fresh from welding together a new rightist government, pleaded Saturday that it focus on bringing Soviet Jews to Israel and not tear itself apart over factional differences.

Since getting enough backing from right-wing and religious parties to ensure his stay in power, Shamir has evaded comment on the divisive question of talks with Palestinians, sticking to one issue on which there is broad national agreement: that a home for as many Soviet Jews as possible must be made in Israel.

“Well, I hope this new government will be an efficient one. It will work in one united spirit without too many differences among its members, and I hope the government will work day and night for the solution of the most important problems we are facing,” he said in a radio interview. “And the most important of all these problems is the mass immigration and the acceptance of these immigrants.”

About 150,000 Soviets are expected to arrive in Israel this year as they flee anti-Semitism and nationalist uncertainty in the Soviet Union.

Shamir rejected descriptions of his government as right wing and hard-line. His new Cabinet faces a parliamentary vote of confidence Monday. “This government represents a large (share) of parties inside our political community, and I can say, without hesitation, that this government represents the majority of our people,” Shamir told a radio interviewer.

When asked about American proposals to talk with Palestinians, Shamir hedged, saying that ahead lies a long process of getting his Cabinet approved, putting ministries into action and tackling problems.

Israel’s relations with the Bush Administration have been under strain over the lack of progress in making peace between Israel and the Palestinians in revolt on the Israeli-held West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Shamir has proposed elections for the West Bank and Gaza to let Palestinians choose a peace panel. On Saturday, he reaffirmed his offer, although several members of his new Cabinet, including members of his own Likud Party, oppose the plan. In any case, it has bogged down over difficulties in designating a group of Palestinians to sign on to the proposal; Shamir rejects giving a role to the Palestine Liberation Organization, which has a wide following among Palestinians.

Shamir’s comments Saturday highlighted the difference in priorities between himself and Shimon Peres, the leader of the rival Labor Party who tried to unseat Shamir in March. Peres’ effort to build his own coalition and become prime minister failed when he could not command a majority in Parliament.

Peres focused on peace as his primary goal. He argued that success in solving Israel’s problems, including immigration, depended on reducing tensions with the Arabs.

Shamir, on the other hand, suggested that peace is just one in a galaxy of Israeli problems and not necessarily the most pressing. “In the next weeks, we will take some decisions about our steps in many parts of our activity. Diplomatic activity, immigration, absorption, etc.,” he said Saturday.

His reluctance to tackle the Palestinian peace issue seemed to confirm early Israeli opinion that any move in the direction of peace talks will bring down the government. Shamir claims only a two-member majority in Israel’s Parliament.

Along the spectrum of Shamir’s core of support, the hard-line context becomes clear. Ariel Sharon, the hawkish former defense minister who is now housing minister, said that peace can only come after the Palestinian rebellion is subdued. “I think one of the main goals of the state of Israel is, of course, to restore order . . . because otherwise there won’t be any possibility to move toward peace,” he said Saturday. Sharon also affirmed plans to build new settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as permit new Soviet immigrants to settle there.

Geula Cohen, a member of the rightist Tehiya Party which favors annexing the West Bank and Gaza, warned that moves toward talks with Palestinians could split the coalition. “If they will do so (talk) in a way that we think that any promotion of this initiative is endangering the security of the state of Israel, we will be out of this government,” she said.