Tough Begin Govt likely

Press, 3 August 1981, Page 8

Tough Begin Govt likely

NZPA-Reuter Tel Aviv The Israeli Prime Minister (Mr Menachem Begin) appeared yesterday to have overcome most of the political hurdles in his quest for a coalition and looked set to form a government that could prove the most hardline in Israel’s history. A close aide of his said agreement on. a coalition seemed close and he confirmed speculation that the. former war hero,. Ariel Sharon, would be made Defence Minister. In this job, Mr Sharon, renowned for ruthlessness in politics as well as on the ; battlefield, could be expected to wage a tough fight against Palestinian militancy and to •step up Jewish settlement on the occupied West Bank. Political sources said this

hardline approach could well be matched in other sections of the new government. The proposed alliance of Mr Begin’s Likud bloc with three religious parties would be the first Israeli Government with no moderate centrist elements. A leading Likud member, Avraham Sharir, told a radio interviewer: “It is about time we had a clash with our friends and. enemies as to how we see the solution to the Palestinian problem. Apparently a compromise in this case doesn’t work.” The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Simcha Ehrlich) said on television that he was confident Mr Begin would overcome the remaining coalition obstacles and present a hew government by the* deadline tomorrow.