Also ostensibly on the agenda: reports that the Prime Minister plans, by the summer of 2004, to uproot isolated Jewish communities in Gaza, and possibly in Judea/Samaria as well.
Ministers Eitam, Lieberman, Landau and others were reported to be fuming at the plan. After today's Cabinet meeting, however, their political ally Tourism Minister Benny Elon said,
"I'm relatively calmer now, because all Sharon said was that there would be 'painful concessions' that he would 'bring before the government first.' But he never said what they were, and certainly did not mention names of towns, etc."
The idea of uprooting settlements is "clearly a red line for me," Elon said, "but if we ever actually reach that situation, I don't know if it will be me who will quit or whether the Prime Minister himself will have to be replaced."
Likud MKs Gilad Erdan and Yechiel Chazan are demanding that the Likud Knesset faction convene to debate Sharon's latest policy shift. "The Prime Minister's reported position represents yet another change in the Likud's position, and it must be debated by the party institutions," Erdan told faction whip MK Gideon Saar. The requested session will apparently be held on Tuesday.
MK Yuri Stern (Likud), speaking with Arutz-7's Emanuel Shilo this morning, said that he has great difficulty believing that Arik Sharon intends to uproot Jewish communities, "nor do I see that such an idea would have a majority either in the coalition or even in the Likud itself. It is totally unacceptable to us, and we object even to statements of this nature, which cause damage and are even treacherous to the residents of Yesha themselves. Such an action would be the beginning of the end of the Sharon government."
Yesha Council chief Bentzy Lieberman also commented: "It's true that these [rumors of Sharon's plans] are just reports by a certain television correspondent, but we must still take these developments seriously. I have no doubt that behind the 'industrial quiet' that we see, plans are quietly being made, and they are definitely liable to lead to the intention to uproot settlements."
"There is no question," Lieberman warned, "that if it turns out that Prime Minister Sharon is in fact planning to uproot recognized towns or communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, we will have to begin immediate action to replace the government. We must not be hesitant in this matter."
"Regarding the outposts," said Lieberman, "we continue to say that a manned outpost is a red line for us. If the government manages, Heaven forbid, to succeed in moving an outpost for a few hours or days, as they did in Yitzhar, we will rebuild it in an even stronger way, as we have shown."
"There are those who say," Shilo asked, "that the Yesha Council must come out with its own plan - one that might even include the cession of a small amount of communities in order to save the rest. What is your opinion?"
Lieberman responded,
"Look, there's no need to panic; we have withstood many even more difficult situations and threats in the history of our renewed resettlement of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, and with G-d's help and with the help of His emissaries, we have attained the point at which we are now - tremendous construction going on, and there are hardly any places left for us to house the people who want to move in. I do accept the idea that the Yesha Council must make a plan - and within a few weeks we will - but in absolutely no way do I accept that we must give something up. We must continue to adhere strongly to the concept of greater Land of Israel, and continue to build - and not to blink in this matter. Any statement to the contrary will only lead to a strengthening of one of two bad options: a Palestinian state, or the Geneva agreement. We must continue to show our many supporters that there is a real! istic diplomatic option for us to continue living throughout Yesha, as well as for the Arabs who are here to continue living beside us - without, of course, forgetting the last three years of the Oslo War..."
Ministers Eitam, Lieberman, Landau and others were reported to be fuming at the plan. After today's Cabinet meeting, however, their political ally Tourism Minister Benny Elon said,
"I'm relatively calmer now, because all Sharon said was that there would be 'painful concessions' that he would 'bring before the government first.' But he never said what they were, and certainly did not mention names of towns, etc."
The idea of uprooting settlements is "clearly a red line for me," Elon said, "but if we ever actually reach that situation, I don't know if it will be me who will quit or whether the Prime Minister himself will have to be replaced."
Likud MKs Gilad Erdan and Yechiel Chazan are demanding that the Likud Knesset faction convene to debate Sharon's latest policy shift. "The Prime Minister's reported position represents yet another change in the Likud's position, and it must be debated by the party institutions," Erdan told faction whip MK Gideon Saar. The requested session will apparently be held on Tuesday.
MK Yuri Stern (Likud), speaking with Arutz-7's Emanuel Shilo this morning, said that he has great difficulty believing that Arik Sharon intends to uproot Jewish communities, "nor do I see that such an idea would have a majority either in the coalition or even in the Likud itself. It is totally unacceptable to us, and we object even to statements of this nature, which cause damage and are even treacherous to the residents of Yesha themselves. Such an action would be the beginning of the end of the Sharon government."
Yesha Council chief Bentzy Lieberman also commented: "It's true that these [rumors of Sharon's plans] are just reports by a certain television correspondent, but we must still take these developments seriously. I have no doubt that behind the 'industrial quiet' that we see, plans are quietly being made, and they are definitely liable to lead to the intention to uproot settlements."
"There is no question," Lieberman warned, "that if it turns out that Prime Minister Sharon is in fact planning to uproot recognized towns or communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, we will have to begin immediate action to replace the government. We must not be hesitant in this matter."
"Regarding the outposts," said Lieberman, "we continue to say that a manned outpost is a red line for us. If the government manages, Heaven forbid, to succeed in moving an outpost for a few hours or days, as they did in Yitzhar, we will rebuild it in an even stronger way, as we have shown."
"There are those who say," Shilo asked, "that the Yesha Council must come out with its own plan - one that might even include the cession of a small amount of communities in order to save the rest. What is your opinion?"
Lieberman responded,
"Look, there's no need to panic; we have withstood many even more difficult situations and threats in the history of our renewed resettlement of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, and with G-d's help and with the help of His emissaries, we have attained the point at which we are now - tremendous construction going on, and there are hardly any places left for us to house the people who want to move in. I do accept the idea that the Yesha Council must make a plan - and within a few weeks we will - but in absolutely no way do I accept that we must give something up. We must continue to adhere strongly to the concept of greater Land of Israel, and continue to build - and not to blink in this matter. Any statement to the contrary will only lead to a strengthening of one of two bad options: a Palestinian state, or the Geneva agreement. We must continue to show our many supporters that there is a real! istic diplomatic option for us to continue living throughout Yesha, as well as for the Arabs who are here to continue living beside us - without, of course, forgetting the last three years of the Oslo War..."