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CNN Sunday Morning
Sharon Asks Netanyahu to Become Foreign Minister
Aired November 03, 2002 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In Israel, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has taken steps to rebuild a government after his broad coalition collapsed. He has asked former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take the post of foreign minister and Netanyahu has accepted with conditions. CNN Jerrold Kessel joins us now live with details on today's political developments.
Hi there, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. And a pretty neat political chess game going on here in Israel as a result of this crisis that erupted last week when the Labor Party bolted the national unity government in a dispute with Mr. Sharon over the question of funding for Jewish settlements on the West Bank and in Gaza. Now, Mr. Sharon is trying to get a narrow based but a sufficiently solid government in place so as to avoid elections before they're mandatory at the end of next year invited the former foreign minister Benjamin Netanyahu to join his government as the foreign minister.
Now, Mr. -- there's no love lost between the two Likud leaders of the right-wing Likud Party, the former prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu and the incumbent, Mr. Sharon. Mr. Sharon's move was seen as trying to box Mr. Netanyahu in to get him to work under him and that would avoid Mr. Netanyahu being able to challenge the prime minister for the premiership.
Now, what Mr. Netanyahu has done is said yes to Mr. Sharon's offer, but on condition that there be early elections, in other words, he'd only be serving for a time under Mr. Sharon and that would mean possibly from his point of view, he could still challenge for the party leadership, in other words, to be Israel's next prime minister if the Likud won the next election. So the ball now back in Mr. Sharon's court and it remains to be seen if he will respond positively to Mr. Netanyahu's ploy, saying, yes, he'll serve as foreign minister, but on condition that Israel go to the polls sometime in the new year, either between March and May. It's a very interesting game being played out here and it looks as if this crisis will continue for another few days until it's exactly resolved -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jerrold Kessel, interesting, indeed. Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 3, 2002 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In Israel, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has taken steps to rebuild a government after his broad coalition collapsed. He has asked former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take the post of foreign minister and Netanyahu has accepted with conditions. CNN Jerrold Kessel joins us now live with details on today's political developments.
Hi there, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. And a pretty neat political chess game going on here in Israel as a result of this crisis that erupted last week when the Labor Party bolted the national unity government in a dispute with Mr. Sharon over the question of funding for Jewish settlements on the West Bank and in Gaza. Now, Mr. Sharon is trying to get a narrow based but a sufficiently solid government in place so as to avoid elections before they're mandatory at the end of next year invited the former foreign minister Benjamin Netanyahu to join his government as the foreign minister.
Now, Mr. -- there's no love lost between the two Likud leaders of the right-wing Likud Party, the former prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu and the incumbent, Mr. Sharon. Mr. Sharon's move was seen as trying to box Mr. Netanyahu in to get him to work under him and that would avoid Mr. Netanyahu being able to challenge the prime minister for the premiership.
Now, what Mr. Netanyahu has done is said yes to Mr. Sharon's offer, but on condition that there be early elections, in other words, he'd only be serving for a time under Mr. Sharon and that would mean possibly from his point of view, he could still challenge for the party leadership, in other words, to be Israel's next prime minister if the Likud won the next election. So the ball now back in Mr. Sharon's court and it remains to be seen if he will respond positively to Mr. Netanyahu's ploy, saying, yes, he'll serve as foreign minister, but on condition that Israel go to the polls sometime in the new year, either between March and May. It's a very interesting game being played out here and it looks as if this crisis will continue for another few days until it's exactly resolved -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jerrold Kessel, interesting, indeed. Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
