In response to the IDF withdrawal from the Givat Shalhevet (Abu Sneineh) and Haret a-Sheikh neighborhoods in Hevron, the National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu party resigned today from the national unity government. The move comes seven months after the formation of the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Minister of Infrastructures Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu), Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi (National Union), and Deputy Minister (in the Prime Minister\'s Office) Yuri Stern handed in their resignations this afternoon.
Outgoing Ministers Lieberman and Ze\'evi held a press conference today to explain why they quit:
\"We entered the government with many hesitations, but with great hope,\" said Lieberman, a former top aide to Binyamin Netanyahu. \"We made many concessions in order to form a national-unity government, and we have always been in favor of it - yet to my sorrow we reached the conclusion that we can no longer continue... Sharon did not take advantage of the events in the U.S. to strike out at the Palestinian terrorism, causing damage to Israel not only militarily but also politically... Many decisions were made by the security cabinet against our positions, most recently the decision to withdraw from Hevron... In addition, the talks between Peres and the Palestinians were a blatant violation of Sharon\'s promise not to conduct negotiations under fire... Even yesterday, in the midst of mortar attacks on Gush Katif, Peres was sitting with Saeb Erekat and Abu Ala and negotiating with them about implementing the Mitchell Report.\"
Ze\'evi said,
\"We always knew that for a unity government, there must be concessions. The question is, why do we always have to be the one conceding to Peres and the other Oslo refugees? ... None other than Jibril Rajoub will now be the one to be responsible for the security of thousands of people who come to visit the Machpelah Cave. I would never agree to this.\"
Ze\'evi and Lieberman added that they would not attempt to topple Sharon, but rather to thwart the continued implementation of the Oslo Accords.
Prime Minister Sharon expressed his feelings from the Knesset podium today by telling them, \"You have caused me great distress, but you have made Arafat\'s day... You never learn: You toppled Shamir in 1992 and got Oslo; you toppled Netanyahu and got Barak and Camp David; now you want to fight a war of elections instead of a war against terrorism?\" Sharon has no immediate cause for concern, however, as his government still commands 76 seats in the 120-seat Knesset (23 from Labor-Meimad; Likud - 19; Shas - 17; Center - 6; United Torah Judaism - 5; Yisrael B\'Aliyah - 4; and One Nation - 2), but the long-range future is more uncertain.
The Yesha Council, the Jewish Community of Hevron, Cities of Israel, and Women in Green congratulated the NUYB party for its decision to resign, noting also Sharon\'s recent expressed support for a Palestinian state. Yesha Council leaders will meet this evening with the Prime Minister; the meeting was to have been held later in the week, but was moved up at Sharon\'s request. Council spokesman Yehoshua Mor-Yosef said that pressures have been exerted on Council members to call off the meeting, in protest of the withdrawal last night from Hevron.
Outgoing Ministers Lieberman and Ze\'evi held a press conference today to explain why they quit:
\"We entered the government with many hesitations, but with great hope,\" said Lieberman, a former top aide to Binyamin Netanyahu. \"We made many concessions in order to form a national-unity government, and we have always been in favor of it - yet to my sorrow we reached the conclusion that we can no longer continue... Sharon did not take advantage of the events in the U.S. to strike out at the Palestinian terrorism, causing damage to Israel not only militarily but also politically... Many decisions were made by the security cabinet against our positions, most recently the decision to withdraw from Hevron... In addition, the talks between Peres and the Palestinians were a blatant violation of Sharon\'s promise not to conduct negotiations under fire... Even yesterday, in the midst of mortar attacks on Gush Katif, Peres was sitting with Saeb Erekat and Abu Ala and negotiating with them about implementing the Mitchell Report.\"
Ze\'evi said,
\"We always knew that for a unity government, there must be concessions. The question is, why do we always have to be the one conceding to Peres and the other Oslo refugees? ... None other than Jibril Rajoub will now be the one to be responsible for the security of thousands of people who come to visit the Machpelah Cave. I would never agree to this.\"
Ze\'evi and Lieberman added that they would not attempt to topple Sharon, but rather to thwart the continued implementation of the Oslo Accords.
Prime Minister Sharon expressed his feelings from the Knesset podium today by telling them, \"You have caused me great distress, but you have made Arafat\'s day... You never learn: You toppled Shamir in 1992 and got Oslo; you toppled Netanyahu and got Barak and Camp David; now you want to fight a war of elections instead of a war against terrorism?\" Sharon has no immediate cause for concern, however, as his government still commands 76 seats in the 120-seat Knesset (23 from Labor-Meimad; Likud - 19; Shas - 17; Center - 6; United Torah Judaism - 5; Yisrael B\'Aliyah - 4; and One Nation - 2), but the long-range future is more uncertain.
The Yesha Council, the Jewish Community of Hevron, Cities of Israel, and Women in Green congratulated the NUYB party for its decision to resign, noting also Sharon\'s recent expressed support for a Palestinian state. Yesha Council leaders will meet this evening with the Prime Minister; the meeting was to have been held later in the week, but was moved up at Sharon\'s request. Council spokesman Yehoshua Mor-Yosef said that pressures have been exerted on Council members to call off the meeting, in protest of the withdrawal last night from Hevron.