I srael's "Unity" government has collapsed. The marriage of the Likud and Labor parties ended when Labor Party members followed their leader, Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, out of the Cabinet in a dispute over the budget. While the stated reason for the departure was fairness to the poor and elderly, party politics has apparently prevailed over principle. The loss of Labor's moderating influence on the government means that policy is likely to shift to the right. That is bad news as tensions rise in the Middle East, both as a result of the continuing Palestinian intifada and U.S. pressure for regime change in Iraq.
The Unity government was formed 20 months ago when national elections gave no party a majority in the Israeli Parliament. Although Labor has more seats in the assembly, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon serves as prime minister, having won more votes in a direct election for that post. Mr. Sharon recognized that the country needed to speak with one voice to confront the Palestinian uprising.
The coalition government survived until last week, when Mr. Ben-Eliezer demanded that the budget shift $150 million destined for settlements on the West Bank to the elderly, students and the disadvantaged. The two sides could not reach agreement, prompting Mr. Ben-Eliezer and five fellow Labor Party members to leave the Cabinet.