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Friday April 16, 1999

Mordechai, Netanyahu use televised debate as forum to trade barbs

DAVID ZEV HARRIS
Jerusalem Post Service

JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Center Party leader Yitzhak Mordechai lambasted each other Tuesday night in the first face-to-face television confrontation ahead of next month's elections.

Netanyahu dubbed Mordechai's new political home "the losers' party," while Mordechai told Netanyahu that even his closest friends no longer believe a word he says.

The major bone of contention between the pair was security -- in particular, the Wye agreement's success in paving the way for the second IDF redeploymen -- and who was responsible for it.

Netanyahu said that under his leadership the government has substantially reduced terrorist activity and insisted that further concessions to the Palestinians be matched by reciprocal moves to fight terrorism.

However, Mordechai said the fact that terrorism was reduced while he was defense minister was a tribute to his skills and those of the military and security organizations under his control.

On Wye, Mordechai accused Netanyahu of agreeing to withdraw from too large a chunk of territory in the second redeployment. "Who gave the Palestinians 13 percent? Not me, you did."

Responding, Netanyahu quoted Mordechai at the time, stating that no other government under any other prime minister could have obtained such a good deal. "All that I've promised, I've done," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu accused Mordechai of fleeing the Likud solely for reasons of personal ambition, chiding him by asking: "Why didn't you fight from inside the party and let the 150,000 members vote [for the leadership]?"

At times Nissim Mishal, the presenter of the Channel 2 show, had difficulty in keeping the sparring partners apart as they exchanged barbs. Toward the end of the confrontation, the two were allowed to ask each other questions.

Netanyahu began by asking if Mordechai has a secret deal with Barak to quit the leadership race ahead of the first round of voting on May 17 -- something Mordechai categorically denied.

In turn, Mordechai asked Netanyahu if there was something wrong with him as prime minister, given the criticisms leveled against him by the likes of Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon, Defense Minister Moshe Arens and those who quit the party -- including former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, Center Party No. 3 man Dan Meridor, Gesher leader David Levy, and National Union leader Ze'ev "Benny" Begin.

Netanyahu repeated that those who left the party rather than opposing him from within had run away.

When Mishal fired questions at the candidates for prime minister, their answers proved on the whole to be similar. On the subject of Lebanon, both said they would only withdraw conditionally, with Mordechai adding that the way to peace on the northern border is via negotiations with Syria.

Netanyahu said he would not build new settlements in the territories, but would expand existing ones, while Mordechai said there could be limited construction in areas that clearly remain under full Israeli control.

On the domestic front, both voiced opposition to drafting yeshiva students forcibly, saying religious leaders should be persuaded to intercede in the matter.

Asked by a viewer if they could say a decent word about one another, both declined, preferring to use the opportunity to deepen the attacks.

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