The National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu party has decided to remain in the government, despite the opinion of some of its seven Knesset Members that Prime Minister Sharon is not acting firmly enough to dismantle the Palestinian Authority. The party\'s two Cabinet ministers were divided on the issue; National Infrastructures Minister Avigdor Lieberman was in favor of leaving, while Tourism Minister Benny Elon was against. This represents an about-face from both ends; two months ago, Lieberman was in favor of remaining in the government, while Elon\'s predecessor, the assassinated Rehavam Ze\'evi, wanted to quit.
\"So now you’re in a government that you don\'t believe in?\" Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal asked Lieberman today. Lieberman responded, \"I believe first of all in the integrity and unity of our Knesset faction, and that important decisions of this nature be agreed upon unanimously.\" He explained, however, that in his opinion, the \"local\" offensives that the government is carrying out will not solve the problem: \"We are in a war of attrition, and only a decisive military victory will bring us peace.\" Minister Benny Elon later explained his side:
\"The government, with its decision that the PA is a \"terrorism-supporting entity\" - the same decision the U.S. made against the Taliban before its current war - showed that Peres is no longer the captain of the government, and his way no longer leads. A few days later, the government decided that Arafat is irrelevant, which meant that there would be no contacts with them at all. Peres, therefore, never should have left an opening that maybe Arafat\'s speech [in which he said he was ordering a total end to the violence] might be acceptable; we must continue the pressure, and ensure that the government goes along the path it has set for itself - not only by destroying the infrastructure of the PA terrorist base, but also by uprooting the basis for the greatest danger ever faced by the State of Israel, i.e., the possibility of the creation of a Palestinian state. This is something that, sad to tell, has become accepted as inevitable even by some in the right-wing camp. It must never be! … Our job now must be to continue with this pressure, and uproot the Oslo conception; if Peres and his friends don\'t like it, they can leave the government… We cannot rest for a moment…\"
\"So now you’re in a government that you don\'t believe in?\" Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal asked Lieberman today. Lieberman responded, \"I believe first of all in the integrity and unity of our Knesset faction, and that important decisions of this nature be agreed upon unanimously.\" He explained, however, that in his opinion, the \"local\" offensives that the government is carrying out will not solve the problem: \"We are in a war of attrition, and only a decisive military victory will bring us peace.\" Minister Benny Elon later explained his side:
\"The government, with its decision that the PA is a \"terrorism-supporting entity\" - the same decision the U.S. made against the Taliban before its current war - showed that Peres is no longer the captain of the government, and his way no longer leads. A few days later, the government decided that Arafat is irrelevant, which meant that there would be no contacts with them at all. Peres, therefore, never should have left an opening that maybe Arafat\'s speech [in which he said he was ordering a total end to the violence] might be acceptable; we must continue the pressure, and ensure that the government goes along the path it has set for itself - not only by destroying the infrastructure of the PA terrorist base, but also by uprooting the basis for the greatest danger ever faced by the State of Israel, i.e., the possibility of the creation of a Palestinian state. This is something that, sad to tell, has become accepted as inevitable even by some in the right-wing camp. It must never be! … Our job now must be to continue with this pressure, and uproot the Oslo conception; if Peres and his friends don\'t like it, they can leave the government… We cannot rest for a moment…\"