US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV1634

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 001634 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, ECON, IS, GOI INTERNAL, ECONOMY AND FINANCE, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT 
SUBJECT: IN SHINUI, DISSENSION PERCOLATES OVER BUDGET 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Norman Olsen for reasons 1.4 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) Divisions have widened within Shinui between those 
who advocate withholding party support for the 2005 budget 
and those who advocate supporting the budget to save the 
government and the disengagement plan.  The pro-budget group 
has also split over how long party chief Tommy Lapid should 
string Prime Minister Sharon along before agreeing to vote 
yea, or at least abstain, and for what goals.  Lapid rejected 
Sharon's latest offer of NIS 600 million (USD 140 million) 
for Shinui's pet programs.  In a Shinui party council meeting 
March 17, emotions flared between council chairman Uriel 
Reichmann and Lapid over Reichmann's call for Shinui to 
abstain in the vote and thus ensure the budget's passage. 
Lapid accused those who wish to abstain on the budget of 
"selling out" the party. 
 
2.  (C) Another advocate of withholding budget support, 
Shinui MK Chemi Doron (protect), himself a disengagement foe, 
told Poloff March 18 not to "pay attention to Reichmann... he 
wants to be minister so he's making waves."  Doron said that 
Shinui MKs are all determined to vote against the budget." 
Doron was indignant over Sharon's offer to Lapid, and 
emphasized that "(Shinui) doesn't need money...(Sharon) can't 
buy us."  When pressed on his claim that all Shinui MKs will 
oppose the budget, Doron acknowledged that two Shinui MKs at 
this point want to support the budget: Ilan Leibowitch and 
Eti Livni. 
 
3.  (C) Shinui MK Ehud Rassabi (protect), however, claimed 
that the majority of Shinui MKs support disengagement and, 
therefore, want to support the budget.  Rassabi underlined 
that Lapid does not want the government to fall, but is 
engaged in a poker game, not wishing to show his hand until 
the last moment.  "I completely rely on (Lapid's) judgment," 
Rassabi stressed, "and (Shinui) will all vote with one 
voice."  Rassabi also stressed in confidence that "at the 
end, we'll all do the same thing -- we won't let the 
government fall." 
 
4.  (C) Comment: Left unknown is the degree of determination 
that Shinui budget opponents will show, when, at the 11th 
hour, they face the prospect of early elections -- and, 
according to recent polls, a loss of Knesset seats -- if they 
vote nay. 
 
********************************************* ******************** 
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website. 
********************************************* ******************** 
KURTZER