Sharon Lashes Out at Opposition Parties

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon struck out at Israel’s opposition parties, accusing them of trying to bring down his government through “illegitimate means” in an apparent reference to a series of public sector strikes.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian parliament was set for a vote confidence on a truncated emergency Cabinet, starting new Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia down a bumpy road of dealing with Israeli and U.S. demands to crack down on violent militants while avoiding internal conflicts.

On Wednesday, Qureia presided over the first meeting of his eight-member emergency Cabinet, which in principle can govern for one month. He said that he would on Thursday seek parliament approval for the ministers, turning them into a regular Cabinet, and that he hoped to broaden his government eventually.

Qureia’s success is key to efforts to salvage the U.S.-backed “road map” peace plan, which foresees an end to three years of violence and a Palestinian state by 2005. It has been stalled for months, with neither side carrying out key requirements.

The United States and Israel say they will judge Qureia on his ability to try to halt terror attacks. Qureia has said he hopes to begin truce talks with Israel quickly, but that – like his predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas – he will use only persuasion, not force, to get Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other armed groups to halt attacks in Israel.

The violent Islamic groups are enjoying a surge of support, while the Palestinian Authority, headed by Arafat and Qureia, has been unable to persuade Israel to relax roadblocks, curfews and closures that have decimated the Palestinian economy, costing it popular support.

The Israeli military announced it was extending a lockdown of the West Bank and Gaza, banning Palestinians from Israel and cordoning off Palestinian towns.

Also Wednesday, Sharon saw the first cracks appear in his center-right government, with the National Religious Party threatening to walk out over a religious dispute.

While a decision by the six-strong NRP faction to pull out of Sharon’s 68-seat coalition would still leave the prime minister with a slim majority in the 120-seat parliament, Israeli governments have fallen before over relatively marginal matters, not war and peace.

Later, speaking at a meeting of his Likud party, Sharon attacked the opposition parties, accusing them of trying to “topple the government by illegitimate means,” an apparent reference to a series of public sector strikes, protesting austerity measures.

Sharon also accused opposition members of “coordinating their actions with the Palestinians behind the government’s back.”

Despite the security measures, violence continued Wednesday. Three Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously, in a Palestinian shooting attack on a West Bank road near the city of Nablus, rescue services and settlers said.

The army later announced that until Sunday Palestinian traffic would be banned from West Bank roads patrolled by the Israeli military but a spokesman said it was part of a general effort to reduce the danger of attacks, and not directly related to Wednesday night’s shooting.

Israel has enforced strict travel bans in the past three years of fighting, though there have been fluctuations.

Blanket closures, including travel bans within the Palestinian areas, are usually imposed during Jewish holidays, and restrictions are eased – though not lifted – once the holidays are over. The most recent one, Yom Kippur, ended Monday, and the next one, the weeklong Succoth holiday, begins at sundown Friday,

However, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered the strict lockdown to continue, reportedly at least through Oct. 22, or several days after the end of Succoth. Mofaz reportedly went against the recommendations of security officials who said the level of alerts about possible terror attacks was not unusual.

Mofaz also ordered two more battalions – or about 800 soldiers – sent to the West Bank and Gaza, canceling leaves and training courses for soldiers. Orders for mobilizing reserve soldiers are also being drawn up, the Israeli military said.