In addition to the above vague international-arena gains, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon\'s policy of restraint and his consent to a construction freeze in Yesha also appear to be netting him political problems back at home. The Moledet party has decided to adopt its leader Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze\'evi\'s proposal to quit the government, exactly because of these policies. However, Moledet will not implement the decision unless its two partners, Tekumah and Yisrael Beiteinu, also agree. The leader of the latter, Minister Avigdor Lieberman, has already stated that he wants to give Sharon more time.
Background: Before the 1999 elections, Moledet and its two MKs - Ze\'evi and Rabbi Benny Elon - joined up with Tekumah (former NRP MKs Chanan Porat and Tzvi Hendel) and with Herut (former Likud MKs Benny Begin and Michael Kleiner) to form the National Union party. The new party won four Knesset seats, held by Ze\'evi, Kleiner, Elon, and Hendel (Begin and Porat had resigned from the Knesset). Kleiner later split off, and the party\'s 3 MKs joined up with Avigdor Lieberman\'s 4-man Yisrael Beiteinu party to form the 7-seat National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu faction.
Background: Before the 1999 elections, Moledet and its two MKs - Ze\'evi and Rabbi Benny Elon - joined up with Tekumah (former NRP MKs Chanan Porat and Tzvi Hendel) and with Herut (former Likud MKs Benny Begin and Michael Kleiner) to form the National Union party. The new party won four Knesset seats, held by Ze\'evi, Kleiner, Elon, and Hendel (Begin and Porat had resigned from the Knesset). Kleiner later split off, and the party\'s 3 MKs joined up with Avigdor Lieberman\'s 4-man Yisrael Beiteinu party to form the 7-seat National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu faction.