Minister of Religious Affairs Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, who served in the past as head of the National Religious Party, says that the government's acceptance of the Road Map plan and the establishment of a Palestinian state is a sign that the party should quit the government. "I think that Sharon doesn't care what anyone else says," he told Arutz-7 this morning, "but just goes his own way. We then become partners to this whole process, with us - the NRP and the National Union - being unable to stop it. We will find ourselves in a government that goes another step, and another one, and another one, and we will be partners to all of them, and each time I fear that we will find excuses why not to leave - that Labor will join, etc."
The party's Cabinet ministers - NRP leader Housing Minister Effie Eitam and Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev - object to leaving the government at this time. Orlev said that now is not the time for the nationalist camp to abandon the governmental playing field. "All the untimely previous resignations [by right-wing parties from the government] were proven to be political and diplomatic errors that brought about political revolutions and caused more harm than good," Orlev said.
Effie Eitam, who said this morning that there is no reason for the NRP to quit now, later qualified is by saying that this decision is under daily review. "We are very concerned about the slippery slope the Prime Minister is treading," he said, "and we will perform a daily check of the situation and the extent of our influence. A decision to quit the government need not be taken hastily in a manner that we might later regret."
The NRP Knesset faction will convene tomorrow to discuss strategy vis-a-vis the Road Map.
The party's Cabinet ministers - NRP leader Housing Minister Effie Eitam and Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev - object to leaving the government at this time. Orlev said that now is not the time for the nationalist camp to abandon the governmental playing field. "All the untimely previous resignations [by right-wing parties from the government] were proven to be political and diplomatic errors that brought about political revolutions and caused more harm than good," Orlev said.
Effie Eitam, who said this morning that there is no reason for the NRP to quit now, later qualified is by saying that this decision is under daily review. "We are very concerned about the slippery slope the Prime Minister is treading," he said, "and we will perform a daily check of the situation and the extent of our influence. A decision to quit the government need not be taken hastily in a manner that we might later regret."
The NRP Knesset faction will convene tomorrow to discuss strategy vis-a-vis the Road Map.