Netanyahu Leads Sharon Arutz Sheva 31.1.02 The incumbent Prime Minister may be enjoying wide support from the public but is facing difficulties within his own Likud party. Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has increased his margin of support among Likud voters and now leads by a 51%-30% margin over Ariel Sharon. Such are the findings of an internal party poll taken this week. Another poll shows that among the 62.5% of the Israeli public that supported Sharon in the election last year, 36% support Netanyahu, and only 28% would vote for Sharon. Today's Arutz Sheva TV News clip is an exclusive interview with Former Prime Minister Netanyahu and can be viewed on-line (28k, 56k, or Broadband). In addition, Arutz Sheva's English radio show Politics & Law will host Netanyahu on Sunday night after the 9:00 PM news. Appearing before a gathering of Likud activists last night, Netanyahu said that the Palestinian Authority should be liquidated and intimated that Sharon is flubbing the opportunity to do that. Sharon, for his part, said in an interview to be published tomorrow in Maariv that he is sorry he didn't kill Arafat in Beirut [during the Peace for Galilee War of 1982], but now, "if Arafat does what is demanded of him, he could return to be our partner." He said again that for "true peace, I would be willing to cede parts of the Land of Israel" and predicted that, "in the end, a Palestinian state will be established." Prime Minister Sharon, who visited Kfar Saba today, said, “We must look forward with optimism. If we keep on asking, ‘How long must we deal with this?’ we will not be able to take the proper actions.” Regarding the shipment of long-range rockets from Iran to Hizbullah, Prime Minister Sharon said, “We’ll make every effort not to escalate the situation, but we will find the way to deal with it.” |
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