Eli Yishai, Shas Party leader

	Coalition talks stall over Labor internal strife
	Prime Minister's Office
	The Knesset

Ariel Sharon's problems establishing a wide-based national unity government are not limited to the internal struggles in the Labor Party. Shas and United Torah Judaism have threatened not to join the coalition if an agreement is not reached on the draft deferment for yeshiva students.

Shas chairman Eli Yishai said "no national unity government can be formed without the resolution of this matter."

Yishai insisted that the Knesset pass special legislation or the recommendations of the Tal Commission to codify the draft deferments currently being extended to yeshiva students.

The Tal Commission, headed by former Supreme Court President Tzvi Tal, was established in the wake of the High Court decision of December 1998 that the conscription deferments yeshiva students be given an official legal status within one year. The commission's goal was to revise the existing arrangement so that it would become a law.

In the commission's report submitted in April 2000, the two pathways for joining the labor force were suggested: shortened military service or civilian service. Shas, United Torah Judaism and the National Religious Party have announced their support for the commission's recommendations.

The Tal Commission recommendations raised objections both from the Israeli Defense Forces and from civilian activist groups. The Awakening Movement formed as a grass roots organization calling for military service by all citizens, including yeshiva students.

"Forcing them is impossible," Yishai said, in referral to yeshiva students. "The defense minister understands this, the head of IDF personnel understands this. We are requesting something that is very simple and clear: to pass a special ruling or the Tal Commission recommendations."

Army radio this morning reported that Ehud Barak personally called last night on the leader of the Awakening Movement opposing draft deferments for yeshiva students and urged him to publicly oppose the formation of a national unity government unless the coalition agreement opposed draft deferment legislation. Analysts speculated that the request, which was not denied by the Awakening spokesman, was either intended to provide a principled means for Barak to "climb down" from his commitment to the national unity coalition or was a tactical move to extract additional concessions from Sharon.

Yishai warned Labor not to use the yeshiva student issue as an excuse to stop the unity government.

© 2001 Koret Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.