In light of the National Union's threat - as expressed by Chanan Porat ( see story here to cease all coalition cooperation if Sharon goes to the US without having presented his plan to the government, Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev, #2 in the National Religious Party, was asked if his party is coordinated with the National Union in this area. "No, we are not yet coordinated on this topic," Orlev told Arutz-7's Emanuel Shilo this morning, "but we are fully in agreement with this demand. The Prime Minister can only speak in the government's name, and not in his own name."
"However," Orlev continued, "I am not in agreement with Porat's approach of making conditions and threats already now. The right-wing has not proven that it knows how to keep a right-wing government in power; in the 1980's we deposed Shamir and got Rabin-Peres-Oslo instead, and later we toppled Netanyahu and got Barak and Camp David, leading to the current war. I'm in no rush to topple the government. As of now, we are serving an important function by being in the coalition; why don't you think Sharon hasn't brought his plan to the Cabinet? Because he has no majority, and that's because [the right-wing parties are] still there. Similarly in his last diplomatic announcement on which the Knesset had to vote; he did not mention these matters, because of the fact that we're in the government. Only when we are convinced that we have absolutely no influence, that we are just air - in matters of Jewish identity, or social or educational matters, or the Land of Israel - then we will have to resign."
"However," Orlev continued, "I am not in agreement with Porat's approach of making conditions and threats already now. The right-wing has not proven that it knows how to keep a right-wing government in power; in the 1980's we deposed Shamir and got Rabin-Peres-Oslo instead, and later we toppled Netanyahu and got Barak and Camp David, leading to the current war. I'm in no rush to topple the government. As of now, we are serving an important function by being in the coalition; why don't you think Sharon hasn't brought his plan to the Cabinet? Because he has no majority, and that's because [the right-wing parties are] still there. Similarly in his last diplomatic announcement on which the Knesset had to vote; he did not mention these matters, because of the fact that we're in the government. Only when we are convinced that we have absolutely no influence, that we are just air - in matters of Jewish identity, or social or educational matters, or the Land of Israel - then we will have to resign."