How will the two right-wing parties in the government respond to the uprooting of populated outposts in Yesha? MK Sha'ul Yahalom of the National Religious Party said clearly today that his party's red line is the uprooting of a community, as opposed to that of an outpost. It is not clear whether this is party leader Housing Minister Effie Eitam's position as well.
MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union), on the other hand, said that the question is now irrelevant: "If the government decides to take out an 'outpost' such as Migron, with over 40 families, then this is the first link in the chain of the destruction of Zionism, the destruction of this tremendous pioneering enterprise of the greatest pioneers of this generation who settled throughout Yesha. As soon as you take out one brick, the whole structure begins to fall."
The MKs of the National Union have asked for an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Sharon, to hear for themselves his intentions. They are threatening to quit the coalition if the indications prove to be accurate.
Asked about Ehud Olmert's recent call for a unilateral withdrawal from Yesha, Hendel brought up some recent history about Olmert's political zig-zagging. He reminded the listeners that during the 1996 election between Ehud Barak and Binyamin Netanyahu, "Olmert supported Barak and said that he [Barak] would not divide Jerusalem. A few years later, however, when Olmert was considering running for national office in the Likud, he attacked Barak for his concessions at Camp David. Barak responded to this with a broadcast all the way from the U.S. to say that Olmert was willing to give up in Jerusalem on things that he [Barak] had objected to!"
"So it was clear then," continued Hendel, "that Olmert, possibly under the influence of his far-left-wing wife, has no connection at all with the nationalist camp. The Central Committee of the Likud also apparently realized this, voting him to a very low slot on the Knesset list. Only by a miracle did he make it into the Knesset."
MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union), on the other hand, said that the question is now irrelevant: "If the government decides to take out an 'outpost' such as Migron, with over 40 families, then this is the first link in the chain of the destruction of Zionism, the destruction of this tremendous pioneering enterprise of the greatest pioneers of this generation who settled throughout Yesha. As soon as you take out one brick, the whole structure begins to fall."
The MKs of the National Union have asked for an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Sharon, to hear for themselves his intentions. They are threatening to quit the coalition if the indications prove to be accurate.
Asked about Ehud Olmert's recent call for a unilateral withdrawal from Yesha, Hendel brought up some recent history about Olmert's political zig-zagging. He reminded the listeners that during the 1996 election between Ehud Barak and Binyamin Netanyahu, "Olmert supported Barak and said that he [Barak] would not divide Jerusalem. A few years later, however, when Olmert was considering running for national office in the Likud, he attacked Barak for his concessions at Camp David. Barak responded to this with a broadcast all the way from the U.S. to say that Olmert was willing to give up in Jerusalem on things that he [Barak] had objected to!"
"So it was clear then," continued Hendel, "that Olmert, possibly under the influence of his far-left-wing wife, has no connection at all with the nationalist camp. The Central Committee of the Likud also apparently realized this, voting him to a very low slot on the Knesset list. Only by a miracle did he make it into the Knesset."