Likud MKs Edelstein and Erdan are collecting signatures on a sharp letter to Prime Minister Sharon in which they threaten to bring down his government. Arutz-7's Haggai Seri-Levy read the letter aloud on Arutz-7 only a half-hour after it began to be disseminated:
"We, MKs in the Likud Knesset faction, request of you not to make unilateral decisions to evacuate the legal settlements in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. We followed you in the elections when this issue was not on the agenda, and we ask that before a decision is made, a debate is held in the party institutions. We express deep concern about the very possibility that the left-wing parties would join the government in order to implement this plan. We wish to hereby make it clear in advance that it will be very difficult for us to support this plan of yours if it is not discussed first in the party institutions. In the event that for the purpose of implementing this plan, you will make changes in the government and add the Labor Party in order to support the plan, we will not be able to support these appointments."
Seri-Levy adds that though they don't say so in the letter, the signatories threaten to vote no-confidence in Sharon as well, if it comes to that. "So far, only four MKs - Edelstein, Erdan, Kara and Yatom - are signed on the letter," he said, "but it's only been a half-hour. So let's wait and see." As of an hour and a half later, six more MKs had signed; MK David Levy said he would not sign "because its tone is too moderate."
Within the Likud, 21 of the 40 MKs are said to be against Sharon's withdrawal plan, including Ruby Rivlin, Naomi Blumental, David Levy, and Leah Ness, as well as Ministers Shalom, HaNegbi, Katz, Landau and Sheetrit. Four are undecided, including Ministers Netanyahu and Naveh and MKs Saar and Avraham. The plan thus does not currently appear to have good chances of passing even a Cabinet vote.
MK Yechiel Chazan, the Likud's Yesha representative, has begun contacts to try to start a split within the party. He is planning to hold a gathering of supporters very soon, and is not hiding his intentions to break up the party if Sharon continues to go through with his plan.
The Yesha Council [Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza] continues to call on the right-wing parties in the government - the National Religious Party and the National Union - to quit the coalition even before Prime Minister Sharon departs for the U.S. and his meeting with President Bush. "Quitting after Sharon submits his plan to Bush," said Council leaders Bentzy Lieberman and Tzviki Bar-Chai, "will be too late, as the plan will have already gotten underway." They call upon the public to realize that Sharon is not merely playing a media game, "but is truly serious about his plans and they are on their way to execution."
"We, MKs in the Likud Knesset faction, request of you not to make unilateral decisions to evacuate the legal settlements in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. We followed you in the elections when this issue was not on the agenda, and we ask that before a decision is made, a debate is held in the party institutions. We express deep concern about the very possibility that the left-wing parties would join the government in order to implement this plan. We wish to hereby make it clear in advance that it will be very difficult for us to support this plan of yours if it is not discussed first in the party institutions. In the event that for the purpose of implementing this plan, you will make changes in the government and add the Labor Party in order to support the plan, we will not be able to support these appointments."
Seri-Levy adds that though they don't say so in the letter, the signatories threaten to vote no-confidence in Sharon as well, if it comes to that. "So far, only four MKs - Edelstein, Erdan, Kara and Yatom - are signed on the letter," he said, "but it's only been a half-hour. So let's wait and see." As of an hour and a half later, six more MKs had signed; MK David Levy said he would not sign "because its tone is too moderate."
Within the Likud, 21 of the 40 MKs are said to be against Sharon's withdrawal plan, including Ruby Rivlin, Naomi Blumental, David Levy, and Leah Ness, as well as Ministers Shalom, HaNegbi, Katz, Landau and Sheetrit. Four are undecided, including Ministers Netanyahu and Naveh and MKs Saar and Avraham. The plan thus does not currently appear to have good chances of passing even a Cabinet vote.
MK Yechiel Chazan, the Likud's Yesha representative, has begun contacts to try to start a split within the party. He is planning to hold a gathering of supporters very soon, and is not hiding his intentions to break up the party if Sharon continues to go through with his plan.
The Yesha Council [Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza] continues to call on the right-wing parties in the government - the National Religious Party and the National Union - to quit the coalition even before Prime Minister Sharon departs for the U.S. and his meeting with President Bush. "Quitting after Sharon submits his plan to Bush," said Council leaders Bentzy Lieberman and Tzviki Bar-Chai, "will be too late, as the plan will have already gotten underway." They call upon the public to realize that Sharon is not merely playing a media game, "but is truly serious about his plans and they are on their way to execution."