Sharon, rebels negotiate ministerial appointments

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met Thursday afternoon with Likud rebel faction negotiators Gidon Sa'ar and Michael Eitan, who offered the prime minister solutions to the deadlock between him and the Likud party rebels. On Tuesday, Sa'ar and Eitan met with MK Binyamin Netanyhu and rebel leaders Uzi Landau and Michael Ratzon. No solution has been reached as of yet, Army Radio reported. Sharon staff members repeated this week that if the Knesset did not approve the appointments of Ehud Olmert as Finance Minister, Ronnie Bar-On as Industry and Trade Minister, and Zeev Boim as Immigration Minister and liason between the government and the Knesset, Sharon would initiate early elections.