Conference taveng::bagels

    Alan,
    
    I'd like to "try" to keep you posted with the latest coalition
    negotiations, but there isn't enough time to do my work AND keep you
    really up to date :-) :-)
    
    The latest is that the the Labour party has mandated a team to
    negotiate with the Likud to form a broad base coalition.
    
    Likud has already signed agreements with 	
    	Techiya
    	Shas
    	Aguda
    	NRP (I think)
    	-- not sure about Moledet (2 seats)
    	
    			...... but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.
                                                 
    
    							.... Monty
                                      

According to last night's news, Labor and the Likud have "reached agreement",
whatever that means, on forming what's now referred to as a "broadly-based"
coalition.  (Calling the present cabinet a National Unity Government got
pretty silly toward the end.)

Labor will get the Finance Ministry and the Knesset Finance Committee, so
that they can take as much money as they want for their assorted ailing
institutions.  The Likud will get the Foreign Ministry, which will put them
in a good position to block Peres' international peace conference, not that
he ever got very far with it.

There apparantly still are a few minor details to be worked out, among which
are:
    1)	Labor has to abandon all of their principles, sort of like Bush
	in 1980; and
    2)	the Likud has to break every promise that they've made to the smaller
	parties since the election.
Once these are out of the way, we *may* actually get a government.  Stay
tuned.

    re .2:
    
    Seems you're not best friends with Peres, hm? On the other hand,
    if the Peace Conference you're referring to would have started some
    time ago, you wouldn't see the US of A talking to the PLO without
    Israel's participation, today. Which is preferrable?
    
    Relativatingly yours,
    
    Chris

    Here's the picture as of 3:30 am this Wednesday.
    
    The Likud and Labor came to an agreement. The Labor will get the
    Finance and Defence ministries as well as the head of the finance
    committee. Each party will apparently have 11 ministers. 
    
    Shamir in doing this has notified all the small parties that any
    agreements that were made in order to form a narrow government were
    now null and void and will not be honored.
    
    Agudah and Shas are quite angry and say they will not join the
    coalition. The NRP is waiting for further clarifications before
    deciding whether to join the government or the opposition. Degel
    Hatorah is going to the High Court of Justice in order to get a
    restraining order against Likud. This order would prevent Likud
    from signing any agreement with the Labor party that would by
    definition be in conflict with any already signed agreements with
    any other party. Techia is also po'd and they said that they would
    not join the coalition.
    
    The above is the truth, the whoke truth, and nothing but the truth.
    Of course, it is also subject to change, and I for one wouldn't
    put my money on the table yet.
    
    Cb. 
    
    
    
    

    Things have changed slightly since yesterday morning....
    
    It seems that the Rabbinical bodies belonging to the various religious
    parties have more sense or more pragmatism (or more of both) than their
    representatives. 
    
    Rabbi Ovadiah Yoseph ordered Rabbi Peretz to join the coalition
    despite the breach of faith shown by the Likud. Shas will be given
    the Interior and Absorption ministeries.
    
    The Agudah Rabbinical Council has told its representatives to join
    the coalition. This despite the fact that they will lose control
    of the finance committee. Agudah. as always, will not accept a
    ministery, but they will get control of one of the lesser ministeries.
    
    The NRP will join as well. They had hoped for the Education ministery,
    but will have to settle for the Religious ministery and a minister
    without a portfolio.
    
    Degel Hatora is still hedging the fence. Rav Shach has ordered 
    Rabbi Ravitz (I understand quite angrily) to cancel the court suit
    that he had initiated. However, they are still (as of 8:00 am on
    Thursday) not actively joining. (Of course that doesn't mean they
    won't.)
    
    The total number of ministers in the government will be 26 or perhaps
    28 (11 or 12 each for Likud and Labor, 2 for Shas, and 2 for NRP).
    
    Hope this is my last report, though this reporter is somewhat
    sceptical.
    
    Cb. 

    Okay, I couldn't help it:
    
    What did Shamir say to the parties whom he had previously promised
    to ally with?
    
    "Kol Nidre"
    
    (Sorry.)