(Updated Wednesday 9 AM) The Knesset this morning will conduct a revote on the government’s emergency economic bill. The bill, which was originally defeated on Monday by a 47-44 count is expected to pass. High ranking Shas party officials last night said that they would continue to oppose the proposal. Following the defeat of the bill on Monday, perceived by the government as an embarrassment, Prime Minister Sharon sent letters to the four Shas government minister, who voted against the plan, informing them that they had been dismissed.
The Shas ministers will officially be relieved of their posts tonight unless an agreement is reached to keep them in the government. The ministers have been spending their last hours in government conferring with the party’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, in his Jerusalem office.
Despite statements yesterday from party leader Minister Eli Yishai, indicating a willingness to mend the gap with the Sharon government, political sources report that Sharon is adamant – insisting he will \"teach Shas a lesson\" and will not retract his decision to fire the party\'s ministers.