Yediot Ahronot: Moufaz may assume the defense ministry in Israel

The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot said in its Tuesday's issue that the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon agreed with the former army chief of staff Shaoul Moufaz that the latter would join the government and assume a high ranking post that might be the ministry of defense which is led by the leader of the Labor party Benyamin Ben Eleazer.

The paper said that this will not be before February, when the legal period during which military leaders are prevented from carrying out political posts expires ( the Israeli law prevents military leaders from joining the government or the Knesset only 6 months after the end of their military posts.) Estimates expect Moufaz to assume the post of the ministry of defense in case the Labor party pulls out from the government and this ministerial post becomes vacant.

It seemed that the understandings between Sharon and Moufaz is part of the battle run by Sharon against his political opponent, former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who announced he will compete with Sharon over Likud's leadership and the government. News reports indicated that Moufaz met with Netanyahu last week.