Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz, Chairman of the Likud Central Committee, said this morning that Prime Minister Sharon's "disengagement" plan could cost the Likud its rule.
Katz said that all plans of this nature must be brought first for approval to the Likud Party institutions. He himself said that he objects to the destruction of any Jewish town in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza). It was announced today that the Likud's Central Committee will in fact debate the issue in two weeks' time.
Behind Katz's "threat" of the Likud's fall from power is a group of at least 13 other Likud MKs who plan to vote against any plan to uproot Jewish communities in Yesha or unilateral withdrawals. The group also says it will vote against the formation of a national unity government with Labor in the event that the National Union and National Religious Party quit the coalition government over this issue. The latest to join this group was former Foreign Minister David Levy. Such a scenario would leave Prime Minister Sharon with the unpleasant option of forming the narrowest-possible government - 60 MKs, exactly half the Knesset.
The government currently numbers 68 MKs and four parties - Likud (40), Shinui (15), National Union (7), and NRP (6). If the latter two quit, and Labor (19) joins in their place, the coalition will number 74 - but only if the 14 rebel MKs of the Likud continue to support it.
The most prominent of the outposts and communities that Prime Minister Sharon threatens to uproot and destroy in the framework of his plan is Migron, less than five miles north of Jerusalem. The residents, who have reason to expect that thousands of people will come to try and stop such a move, say that they have not received demolition orders. Such orders must be received 72 hours before they are carried out. The assumption in some circles is that the authorities are waiting until after Chanukah, which ends this week, when the youth will be back in school and not as available for demolition-stopping activities.
Migron lies on privately-owned Jewish land, and has received government aid over the years from six different government ministries. A festive Torah-dedication ceremony will be held in Migron on Tuesday afternoon, with thousands expected to arrive.
The final approval for uprooting Migron must be signed by Sha'ul Mofaz in his capacity as Defense Minister. If he in fact does so, some Likud members promise him a hard time. A open letter to Mofaz by Central Committee member Haggai Greenzeig states as follows:
"I promise you that if you decide to uproot a Jewish community in the Land of Israel, or to serve as the Prime Minister's rubber stamp in expelling Jews from their homes, you will see the Knesset plenum in the next Knesset only from the visitors' balcony. We - hundreds of Central Committee members from Tel Aviv, Netanya, Haifa, Ramat Gan, Holon, Bat Yam, Ganei Tikvah and elsewhere - will work with all our strength to make sure you end up on the bottom of the Likud list of candidates in the next election."
Greenzeig further writes, "The Jewish People's right to the Land of Israel, including Migron, does not stem from decisions by a Defense Minister as to which communities are important from a security standpoint and which are not. Your right to live in Kokhav Ya'ir or anywhere else is based on our title deed - namely, the Bible. Accordingly, no government, and certainly no Defense Minister, has the right to transfer Jews out of their homes - and certainly not to give over parts of the Land of Israel to the enemy."
Behind Katz's "threat" of the Likud's fall from power is a group of at least 13 other Likud MKs who plan to vote against any plan to uproot Jewish communities in Yesha or unilateral withdrawals. The group also says it will vote against the formation of a national unity government with Labor in the event that the National Union and National Religious Party quit the coalition government over this issue. The latest to join this group was former Foreign Minister David Levy. Such a scenario would leave Prime Minister Sharon with the unpleasant option of forming the narrowest-possible government - 60 MKs, exactly half the Knesset.
The government currently numbers 68 MKs and four parties - Likud (40), Shinui (15), National Union (7), and NRP (6). If the latter two quit, and Labor (19) joins in their place, the coalition will number 74 - but only if the 14 rebel MKs of the Likud continue to support it.
The most prominent of the outposts and communities that Prime Minister Sharon threatens to uproot and destroy in the framework of his plan is Migron, less than five miles north of Jerusalem. The residents, who have reason to expect that thousands of people will come to try and stop such a move, say that they have not received demolition orders. Such orders must be received 72 hours before they are carried out. The assumption in some circles is that the authorities are waiting until after Chanukah, which ends this week, when the youth will be back in school and not as available for demolition-stopping activities.
Migron lies on privately-owned Jewish land, and has received government aid over the years from six different government ministries. A festive Torah-dedication ceremony will be held in Migron on Tuesday afternoon, with thousands expected to arrive.
The final approval for uprooting Migron must be signed by Sha'ul Mofaz in his capacity as Defense Minister. If he in fact does so, some Likud members promise him a hard time. A open letter to Mofaz by Central Committee member Haggai Greenzeig states as follows:
"I promise you that if you decide to uproot a Jewish community in the Land of Israel, or to serve as the Prime Minister's rubber stamp in expelling Jews from their homes, you will see the Knesset plenum in the next Knesset only from the visitors' balcony. We - hundreds of Central Committee members from Tel Aviv, Netanya, Haifa, Ramat Gan, Holon, Bat Yam, Ganei Tikvah and elsewhere - will work with all our strength to make sure you end up on the bottom of the Likud list of candidates in the next election."
Greenzeig further writes, "The Jewish People's right to the Land of Israel, including Migron, does not stem from decisions by a Defense Minister as to which communities are important from a security standpoint and which are not. Your right to live in Kokhav Ya'ir or anywhere else is based on our title deed - namely, the Bible. Accordingly, no government, and certainly no Defense Minister, has the right to transfer Jews out of their homes - and certainly not to give over parts of the Land of Israel to the enemy."