Labor Party Appoints Israel's First Muslim Cabinet Minister

[watchthevideo]

The Labor Party Saturday threatened to resign from the coalition if the government does not approve Arab Knesset Member Raleb Majadele as the first Muslim minister in an Israeli government.

Sources in Labor said, "We will consider a failure to appoint Majadele to a government ministry as a violation of our coalition agreement." They said Labor party chairman Amir Peretz intended to stand behind it, but several Labor ministers said the threat is "ridiculous."

Political analysts said that it was unlikely that Peretz would escalate the Majadele issue into a coalition crisis because he already is engaged in another power struggle with Olmert that he may lose-- the appointment of his choice for a new IDF Chief of Staff. The Defense Minister wants Maj. Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi to take over the job, but Olmert is known to prefer Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky.

"If Peretz loses any of these political battles right now, it will make him seem even weaker in the eyes of party members, and the snowball called [Ehud] Barak will likely turn into an avalanche of defections Peretz won't be able to stop," one analyst said.

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[Mikebloke]

Old news mate, there's a topic a few pages down on it the other week

[Duncan]

When I first heard of this, I thought it was a done deal. But apparently not.

Olmert would be a fool to stand in the way of this. It would show that characters like Lieberman have more sway than Peretz.

[Duncan]

Here's another MK who opposes having an Arab minister.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/816015.html

The state prosecution is considering opening a criminal investigation into Yisrael Beiteinu MK Esterina Tartman on suspicions of inciting racism, in the wake of Tartman's comments on the appointment of Labor MK Raleb Majadele as the first Arab minister.

Tartman said during a radio interview that the appointment of an Arab minister is "assimilation," calling it a "lethal blow to Zionism."

"We must destroy the affliction within us," said Tartman. "With God's help, the Holy One blessed be He will help us."

If Olmert lets Yisrael Beiteinu -- "Israel Our Home" -- win on this, then he may as well be honest and step down as PM.