In reaction to the debate last night among Likud ministers regarding Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unilateral "disengagement" plan, Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad (National Union) commented: "The Prime Minister should not be surprised that ministers from his party continue his overall line of surrender and collapse. The public will not be surprised if from that 'house of study' will soon come a call to internationalize Jerusalem."
Although MK Eldad has been pushing for his party to quit a coalition that is putting forth such initiatives for some time, fellow National Union member and Deputy Minister of Education Tzvi Hendel commented yesterday: "Precisely at moments like this it is imperative not to run away. It is the easiest thing, which will bring the Labor party into the government; then, the Prime Minister will run ahead with his plan, with a majority provided him by Labor. Precisely now, we need to measure our steps millimeter by millimeter."
Prime Minister Sharon confirmed Deputy Minister Hendel's assessment at today's Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting, when he declared that if the right wing parties (the National Religious Party and National Union) back out of his government because of the plan, then he will establish an alternative government "the same day." Sharon said that he prefers the current coalition and feels that the right-wing parties would be mistaken to quit the government, but if they do, he said, he will not put the nation through another election campaign.
The main pressure in support of "disengagement" may well come from a source very close to the Prime Minister. Among Ariel Sharon's closest confidantes, Maariv newspaper reported today, his son Gilad is the most enthusiastic backer pushing for the implementation of the unilateral "disengagement" plan. In the past, Gilad was thought to be among the most hawkish in Sharon's inner circle.
As for Prime Minister Sharon's upcoming visit to Washington to discuss the "disengagement" plan directly with US President George Bush, Arutz-7 has learned that there is concern in the Prime Ministers Office that the meeting could be again postponed. This, despite the fact that the current date for the meeting, April 14, was already set after Sisyphean efforts on the part of Prime Minister's Office director Dov Weisglass last week. Mr. Sharon, for his part, told government ministers today that he intends to present his withdrawal plan to President Bush before bringing it to the government for a vote.
Although MK Eldad has been pushing for his party to quit a coalition that is putting forth such initiatives for some time, fellow National Union member and Deputy Minister of Education Tzvi Hendel commented yesterday: "Precisely at moments like this it is imperative not to run away. It is the easiest thing, which will bring the Labor party into the government; then, the Prime Minister will run ahead with his plan, with a majority provided him by Labor. Precisely now, we need to measure our steps millimeter by millimeter."
Prime Minister Sharon confirmed Deputy Minister Hendel's assessment at today's Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting, when he declared that if the right wing parties (the National Religious Party and National Union) back out of his government because of the plan, then he will establish an alternative government "the same day." Sharon said that he prefers the current coalition and feels that the right-wing parties would be mistaken to quit the government, but if they do, he said, he will not put the nation through another election campaign.
The main pressure in support of "disengagement" may well come from a source very close to the Prime Minister. Among Ariel Sharon's closest confidantes, Maariv newspaper reported today, his son Gilad is the most enthusiastic backer pushing for the implementation of the unilateral "disengagement" plan. In the past, Gilad was thought to be among the most hawkish in Sharon's inner circle.
As for Prime Minister Sharon's upcoming visit to Washington to discuss the "disengagement" plan directly with US President George Bush, Arutz-7 has learned that there is concern in the Prime Ministers Office that the meeting could be again postponed. This, despite the fact that the current date for the meeting, April 14, was already set after Sisyphean efforts on the part of Prime Minister's Office director Dov Weisglass last week. Mr. Sharon, for his part, told government ministers today that he intends to present his withdrawal plan to President Bush before bringing it to the government for a vote.