4 Israelis Kicked Out of Cabinet

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon abruptly fired four of his Cabinet members from the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party Monday night after they helped to narrowly defeat the government’s own emergency economic plan in the Israeli parliament.

A political storm that threatened to shake the foundations of Sharon’s broad-based government erupted when Shas, Israel’s third-largest party, voted against the plan to slash about $2.7 billion from the budget, saying it would hurt the poor. The measure was defeated by three votes.

It was the second serious political setback for Sharon in less than 10 days. On May 12, his Likud Party’s Central Committee adopted a resolution ruling out establishment of a Palestinian state, in direct contradiction to Sharon’s stated support for eventual Palestinian independence.

The events underscore the gap between Sharon’s popularity with the general public, which sees him as a powerful leader, and his weakening position in his own party and with the fractious parliament.

“Prime Minister Ariel Sharon this evening ordered the immediate dismissal of four Shas ministers ... following this evening’s Knesset vote against the government’s economic program,” Sharon’s office said in a terse statement. Sharon also dismissed the deputy ministers of United Torah Judaism, another ultra-Orthodox party in his Cabinet, after they, too, voted against the economic plan.

“I’d rather stand with the poor and not in the government,” said Interior Minister Eli Yishai, the leader of Shas. “If they fire me because I fight for those who haven’t anything to eat--that is my reward.... The economic situation is difficult. I advise the prime minister to begin negotiating with his allies.”

Without the support of Shas, Sharon would maintain only 60 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament, one short of a majority. But by this morning Sharon reportedly was close to reaching a compromise with the party that would allow the members to remain in the government. But even if the crisis is resolved, political analysts said, Shas’ defection, and Sharon’s sacking of its ministers, could signal the beginning of the end for the government, a partnership of his nationalistic Likud Party, the ultra-Orthodox, the center-left Labor Party and some small, far-right parties.

If the crisis is not resolved before the resignations take effect just before midnight Israel time Wednesday, Sharon will be more dependent on the Labor Party to stay in power. He will probably find himself buffeted between Labor’s demands to renew diplomatic contacts with the Palestinians and the far-right’s demands that he crush the Palestinian Authority and get rid of its leader, Yasser Arafat.

The economic program’s defeat reflected “anarchy that is leading to the dissolution of the government,” said Effi Oshaya, chairman of Labor’s Knesset faction.

Opposition leaders immediately called for Sharon to resign and dissolve the Knesset, citing his failure to pass the emergency bill. Both Yossi Sarid, leader of the left-wing Meretz, and Tommy Lapid, leader of the anti-Orthodox Shinui, said the government’s failure meant Sharon should go. But aides to the prime minister said he would invite Shinui to join the government.

The economic plan, which was meant to slash the deficit in the 2002 budget, was defeated by a vote of 47 to 44, with one abstention. Sharon sternly reprimanded Education Minister Limor Livnat, from his own Likud, for failing to show up for the vote. Another Likud Knesset member stayed away, as did several Labor Knesset members and David Levy of the Gesher Party, also a member of the government.

“The Knesset preferred narrow political interests over the national interest,” said Finance Ministry Silvan Shalom, who looked stunned as television cameras captured him watching the vote tally flash on an electronic board in the Knesset.

“We are determined to pass the emergency plan because there is no other choice and we have to save the economy,” Shalom said.

Economists predicted that the failure to pass the emergency plan would have dire consequences for a recession-bound Israeli economy hit by the collapse of the high-tech industry and 20 months of fighting with the Palestinians.

The dollar was expected to soar to new highs against the shekel, the stock market was expected to drop and Israel’s international credit rating was expected to be lowered after Monday night’s vote. Israeli media reported early today that Sharon instructed his Cabinet secretary, Gideon Saar, to conduct a telephone survey of Cabinet ministers with the hope of bringing the emergency package to a vote again Wednesday.

This morning, Israel Radio reported that Shas ministers might abstain in that vote, a move that would allow them to stay in the government because Sharon would rescind their dismissal.

Sharon may well win points with Israeli voters for taking on the ultra-Orthodox parties over the budget. But Sharon is not facing voters now, he is dealing with an unruly Knesset filled with members loath to sacrifice benefits intended for their constituents in the name of belt-tightening. Sharon may yet be forced to compromise and bring Shas’ five ministers back into the government, including Religious Affairs Minister Asher Ohana, who was not fired, because he is not a Knesset member, but resigned when his colleagues were sacked.