The Likud referendum on the evacuation/expulsion plan will be held, it was decided this afternoon, on May 2. The Sharon camp had expressed last-minute regrets at the original date chosen for the vote - April 29 - fearing that apathetic Sharon-supporters would rather watch the Euroleague Final Four basketball competition that night than go out to vote. These objections were originally overridden by Likud Elections Board Chairman Tzvi Cohen, who said that the date of the Final Four was known in advance and that there was no justification to reopen the matter. In addition, no other day that week is appropriate for the referendum, as April 26 is Memorial Day, April 27 is Independence Day, and April 28 is a Druze holiday.
However, this afternoon Cohen decided, following a telephone poll of the Elections Board, to change the date to Sunday, May 2. The polls will be open from 10 AM to 10 PM.
Minister Uzi Landau of the Likud - an outspoken opponent of the withdrawal plan - told Arutz-7 today that he is certain that the evacuation plan will not be approved. He said he bases this confidence on his talks with Likud members and the "panicky" reactions of the Sharon camp. Together with MK Michael Eitan, who does not oppose the plan, Landau has submitted an appeal in party organs against what they call the "undemocratic" and hurried manner in which the referendum was scheduled altogether.
Minister Landau said that two debates on the matter of the withdrawal are likely to take place in the coming three weeks, though he is not happy with the fact that Sharon himself will apparently take part: "I don't want there to be the slightest hint that this is a fight with the Prime Minister himself." The Likud's Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz is also very much against the evacuation, and has even established his own task force to enlist opposition to the plan. He, too, was careful to state today that he will not attack Sharon personally.
Housing Minister Effie Eitam (National Religious Party), one of the leading opponents of the plan, sharply attacked Prime Minister Sharon and his rush to hold the referendum. "Sharon is not coming with clean hands, from two standpoints," Eitam said. "For one thing, he is going to the Americans to summarize things even before he presents the plan to the Cabinet and Knesset, and is thus telling the Likud voters, 'How could you vote against something that I already promised the Americans, thus causing untold international ramifications?' In addition, he knows that the State Prosecutor has already prepared a draft of an indictment against him, and that it is only awaiting Attorney-General Meni Mazuz's final decision. Sharon is thus telling Mazuz, 'When you make a decision on my case, don't judge it only on its merits, but also take into account that we are in the midst of a process with international ramifications.' This is very unacceptable behavior."
Prime Minister Sharon has had a number of one-on-one discussions with Likud MKs and local Likud branch leaders, in an attempt to rally their support for his plan. He met late last week with Health Minister Dan Naveh, and with MKs Michael Ratzon, Moshe Kahlon, and Yaakov Edri. The first three oppose the separation plan - and Deputy Minister Ratzon, specifically, said he came away from the meeting with Sharon even more steadfast in his opposition. Ratzon told Sharon he fails to understand why Gush Katif should be evacuated without receiving anything in return from the Palestinian Authority. He further said that a unilateral withdrawal of this nature would create a precedent for abandoning other areas - including even within pre-'67 Israel.
MK Kahlon said he still does not see what benefits are to be received from the Americans - but he left the door open for Sharon to return from Washington with something concrete in hand. This does not appear to be happening, however; see next article.
However, this afternoon Cohen decided, following a telephone poll of the Elections Board, to change the date to Sunday, May 2. The polls will be open from 10 AM to 10 PM.
Minister Uzi Landau of the Likud - an outspoken opponent of the withdrawal plan - told Arutz-7 today that he is certain that the evacuation plan will not be approved. He said he bases this confidence on his talks with Likud members and the "panicky" reactions of the Sharon camp. Together with MK Michael Eitan, who does not oppose the plan, Landau has submitted an appeal in party organs against what they call the "undemocratic" and hurried manner in which the referendum was scheduled altogether.
Minister Landau said that two debates on the matter of the withdrawal are likely to take place in the coming three weeks, though he is not happy with the fact that Sharon himself will apparently take part: "I don't want there to be the slightest hint that this is a fight with the Prime Minister himself." The Likud's Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz is also very much against the evacuation, and has even established his own task force to enlist opposition to the plan. He, too, was careful to state today that he will not attack Sharon personally.
Housing Minister Effie Eitam (National Religious Party), one of the leading opponents of the plan, sharply attacked Prime Minister Sharon and his rush to hold the referendum. "Sharon is not coming with clean hands, from two standpoints," Eitam said. "For one thing, he is going to the Americans to summarize things even before he presents the plan to the Cabinet and Knesset, and is thus telling the Likud voters, 'How could you vote against something that I already promised the Americans, thus causing untold international ramifications?' In addition, he knows that the State Prosecutor has already prepared a draft of an indictment against him, and that it is only awaiting Attorney-General Meni Mazuz's final decision. Sharon is thus telling Mazuz, 'When you make a decision on my case, don't judge it only on its merits, but also take into account that we are in the midst of a process with international ramifications.' This is very unacceptable behavior."
Prime Minister Sharon has had a number of one-on-one discussions with Likud MKs and local Likud branch leaders, in an attempt to rally their support for his plan. He met late last week with Health Minister Dan Naveh, and with MKs Michael Ratzon, Moshe Kahlon, and Yaakov Edri. The first three oppose the separation plan - and Deputy Minister Ratzon, specifically, said he came away from the meeting with Sharon even more steadfast in his opposition. Ratzon told Sharon he fails to understand why Gush Katif should be evacuated without receiving anything in return from the Palestinian Authority. He further said that a unilateral withdrawal of this nature would create a precedent for abandoning other areas - including even within pre-'67 Israel.
MK Kahlon said he still does not see what benefits are to be received from the Americans - but he left the door open for Sharon to return from Washington with something concrete in hand. This does not appear to be happening, however; see next article.