TEL AVIV, 4 December 2005 — The announcement by Shimon Peres that he was leaving the Labour party and joining forces with Ariel Sharon to help the premier get re-elected on March 28 next year caused shockwaves in Israel, even though it came after days of speculation and leaks to the media. The 82-year-old veteran politician said Wednesday night he was turning his back on his political home of over 60 years, but was not formally joining the new political party Sharon set up on Nov. 14.

Many Israeli pundits had no doubt why Peres made the move he did, speculating he was still angry and bitter at having lost the leadership of the Labour party to trade union firebrand Amir Peretz on Nov. 10. Peres, however, had another, more statesman-like, explanation, telling reporters Tuesday night that he was putting country above party. “I ask myself what is the main issue facing Israel in the coming years; I have no doubt that it is the inevitable combination of peace and the advancement of the diplomatic process,” he said. “I ask myself where I can contribute, and the answer is: Advancing the peace process, which will bring about economic prosperity and social justice. I believe the most qualified person for this is Ariel Sharon. He will restart the peace process right after the election. I decided to join him and work with him.”

Whatever the motives for the move, Sharon benefits — at least short-term — from having Peres at his side. Although the former Labour Party head is vilified by many Israelis, he is respected by many others and — his reputation as Israel’s serial election loser notwithstanding — is seen as an electoral asset.

On the other hand, and despite his initiative to withdraw Israel from the Gaza Strip, and his statements in favor of setting up a Palestinian State, Sharon is still deeply distrusted by many Israelis who cannot quite believe the former champion of Israeli settlement in the occupied territories has now abandoned his former hawkish views. Sharon’s break with the Likud party, which he helped found, and his establishment of the Kadima party did not assuage the doubts.

But lining up next to Shimon Peres, the Israel leader most associated with the Israel-Palestinian peace process, may finally sway the skeptics over to his side. “Peres was essential for Sharon because polls commissioned by his aides demonstrated that Peres would win over six Knesset (parliament) seats from people who were hesitant about voting for the Labour party, people who would feel more comfortable about voting for Kadima if Shimon Peres were around,” Amnon Danker, editor of the Ma’ariv daily, wrote.

Moreover, Sharon’s embrace of peace process guru Peres also indicates the direction his campaign can be expected to take.

New Labour head Amir Peretz would like the campaign to focus on the socioeconomic sphere, issues on which he can expect support from Israelis adversely affected by the free-market policies Sharon’s government promoted. Sharon, mindful of the criticism his economic policies generated, would prefer to concentrate on the military-diplomatic sphere, where he believes has the edge over Peretz, who has never held a Cabinet post..

Experience can also be expected to play a part in the upcoming election campaign. Peres, whose Knesset career stretches back 46 years, has held every major Cabinet post, while the 77-year-old Sharon has been a major factor in Israeli politics since 1974 and has sat uninterruptedly in Parliament since 1977. “The two village elders ... are now joining hands and hinting to the crowd of urchins before them and sneering at them that, from their old age, and everything else notwithstanding, no one is better than they are,” analyst Ben Caspit wrote in Ma’ariv.

“They are the only responsible adults around,” he continued, “and they intend to sound one final and dramatic flourish before they leave the arena.”