Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave the Labor Party an ultimatum to either support his proposed state budget for fiscal 2003 or leave the government.
Sharon told Labor leaders at Sunday's cabinet meeting he will not tolerate "games or political tricks." According to Jerusalem Post, he told Labor ministers that if they vote against the budget, they will no longer be in the government.
"The responsibility to pass the budget is a collective one," Sharon said, "and those who do not act responsibly, I want to say this simply, will no longer be here [in the cabinet]."
Labor has hinged its support for the budget on a demand to reallocate NIS 700 million ($155 million) destined for Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories to poor development towns inside Israel.
Ben-Eliezer said Saturday there was a serious chance Labor would bolt the coalition over the issue. He alleged that the budget proposal favors residents of settlements over expens the poor and hungry who live inside Israel's borders. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
