Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Wednesday ousted his last coalition partner and will try to form a new government with which it might be easier to govern and implement his withdrawal plan.
The ouster seemed like a deliberate effort to remove an obstacle that hindered the co-option of the Labor Party and the ultra-orthodox Torah Judaism.
Sharon fired Shinui's five ministers a few minutes after they joined the Knesset majority and defeated the government's proposed budget for 2005.
The motion fell 69 to 43. Sharon's Likud Party and the small Torah Judaism faction were the only ones who voted for the bill. Sharon won Torah Judaism's support for 290 million Israeli shekels (some $66 million) promised to their education institutions.
The centrist, stridently secular Shinui Party opposed that payment and voted against the bill because it was committed to curbing the religious parties' influence and ability to "milk" the public coffers.
"We demanded that they [the orthodox parties] part with the state's pocket," Lapid told the Knesset, reading from a prepared text.
"We managed to cut inflated budgets to yeshivas [rabbinical schools]... dismantle the religious affairs ministry," he continued.
Turning to Sharon he said: "Now you come and buy Torah Judaism's favors...? There is a lot of support for 290 million shekels," he said cynically, "and then you expect us to agree"!
Shinui's departure means Sharon is left with a coalition of only 40 members, his own Likud Party, in a 120-seat Knesset. Torah Judaism promised to support his budget, nothing more at the moment.
Sharon nevertheless retains a Knesset majority for his planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank next year. Several opposition parties promised to back that pullout.
Shinui's leader, outgoing justice minister Tommy Lapid, also promised to "continue to support the disengagement plan from the opposition [benches] in order to attain peace with the Palestinians".
Sharon could have avoided Wednesday's showdown by postponing the Knesset vote. There was no urgency to approve the bill now, and Shinui suggested a postponement to allow for efforts to find a way out.
Sharon, however, has been heading a minority government, and earlier this week lost votes, and wanted to expand his coalition.
It was difficult to co-opt a religious party to a coalition with Shinui because of the deep animosity between Lapid and the ultra-orthodox parties.
Lapid on Wednesday talked of Shas' leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's "wish that I burn".
"The Shinui voters who work, pay taxes, serve in the army, serve in the reserves, are better Jews than all the [ultra-orthodox Jews] who shirk," he said.
Torah Judaism Knesset member Rabbi Yisrael Eichler slammed Lapid as a "racist".
Sharon's government disintegrated because of 290 million shekels earmarked for children out of a 264.5 billion shekel budget, Eichler said. "There is no greater racism than this!" he stated.
Sharon may not face an imminent threat to his government. Labor Party leaders are willing to join the coalition and the opposition needs 61 mandates and an agreement on an alternative prime minister before Sharon falls.
However, without Labor or Shinui beside him, Sharon does not have a majority within his cabinet for the pullback, noted Israel Radio's political analyst Hanan Kristal.
With Shinui out of the way it might be easier to co-opt Labor. In August the Likud's Central Committee voted against such co-option. The hawkish Likud members did not want another secular, dovish, pro-withdrawal party in the government.
Now they realize the alternative might be early elections in which they might lose their Knesset seats. Torah Judaism's presence brings in a touch of Judaism so the package might be more palatable.
Likud Knesset member Michael Ratzon who opposes the pullback told United Press International, "Our problem is not Labor but the disengagement process."
It would be "difficult" to get the central committee's approval for co-opting Labor and Torah Judaism because they would pull the government leftward "but I did not say it is impossible", he added.
Ratzon would rather see Shas in the coalition, but Shas opposes the pullback that disqualifies it in Sharon's and Labor leader Shimon Peres' eyes.
Shas' objection may not last long if Sharon and the new Palestinian leaders agree to coordinate the pullback, observers believe.
Labor leader Shimon Peres is now waiting for Sharon's invitation. Some laborites are against joining the coalition and the most prominent of them seems to be former prime minister Ehud Barak who is returning forcefully to political activity. Labor's leadership bureau and then the central committee would have to approve joining the coalition.
If they do not, Sharon may be forced to call new elections, which some politicians and observers expect in 2005.
Sharon loses key vote, seeks new coalition
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