MK Lieberman met with MK Yishai Tuesday morning in the Golan Heights, where the Shas leader is currently enjoying a Sukkot vacation. Lieberman is investigating the possibility of Yisrael Beiteinu joining the current governing coalition, albeit with his own set of preliminary conditions.
Yishai stated that while he considered Yisrael Beiteinu to be a suitable coalition partner, Shas does not accept Lieberman's demand that the government establish a form of civil marriage ("partnership covenants") for those currently unable to legally marry in Israel. Shas calls the establishment of such a form of legal wedlock to be "crossing a red line."
Shas leaders have already threatened that they would quit the government over the marriage issue. They say that the preservation of the marriage status quo was part of their own coalition agreement with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party.
Yishai and Lieberman agreed to meet again for further talks in the coming weeks.
Two other of Yisrael Beiteinu's "five points" - preconditions for the party to join the government - that may prove stumbling blocks to a coalition agreement - include the demand for a public retirement of the Convergence Plan and an immediate halt to dismantling Jewish outposts in Judea and Samaria. The other current major coalition partner, the Labor party - along with many Kadima party MKs - is committed to further unilateral withdrawals, as well as to the removal of isolated hilltop outposts in Judea and Samaria.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz, Chairman of the Labor Party, discounted chances that the Yisrael Beiteinu party would join the coalition government. On Sunday, he called the reports of meetings between Lieberman and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "political spin." Other Labor sources said the party would not remain in a coalition with Yisrael Beiteinu.
MK Nissim Ze'ev of Shas said he believes Lieberman will compromise on the matter of civil marriage, "because it is not a spiritual matter for him." Speaking with Arutz-7 Hebrew Radio, MK Ze'ev went on to say, "Any right-wing party will be beneficial. Yisrael Beiteinu and the Likud must both be included."
In MK Ze'ev's view, Prime Minister Olmert must "replace the Left, now that he has understood that compromises and withdrawals exacted a dear price, with no benefit."
Yishai stated that while he considered Yisrael Beiteinu to be a suitable coalition partner, Shas does not accept Lieberman's demand that the government establish a form of civil marriage ("partnership covenants") for those currently unable to legally marry in Israel. Shas calls the establishment of such a form of legal wedlock to be "crossing a red line."
Shas leaders have already threatened that they would quit the government over the marriage issue. They say that the preservation of the marriage status quo was part of their own coalition agreement with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party.
Yishai and Lieberman agreed to meet again for further talks in the coming weeks.
Two other of Yisrael Beiteinu's "five points" - preconditions for the party to join the government - that may prove stumbling blocks to a coalition agreement - include the demand for a public retirement of the Convergence Plan and an immediate halt to dismantling Jewish outposts in Judea and Samaria. The other current major coalition partner, the Labor party - along with many Kadima party MKs - is committed to further unilateral withdrawals, as well as to the removal of isolated hilltop outposts in Judea and Samaria.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz, Chairman of the Labor Party, discounted chances that the Yisrael Beiteinu party would join the coalition government. On Sunday, he called the reports of meetings between Lieberman and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "political spin." Other Labor sources said the party would not remain in a coalition with Yisrael Beiteinu.
MK Nissim Ze'ev of Shas said he believes Lieberman will compromise on the matter of civil marriage, "because it is not a spiritual matter for him." Speaking with Arutz-7 Hebrew Radio, MK Ze'ev went on to say, "Any right-wing party will be beneficial. Yisrael Beiteinu and the Likud must both be included."
In MK Ze'ev's view, Prime Minister Olmert must "replace the Left, now that he has understood that compromises and withdrawals exacted a dear price, with no benefit."