A disengagement compromise may be in the works - but Binyamin Netanyahu doesn't know whether it will cost him his support in the nationalist camp. Netanyahu, together with fellow disengagement-opponents Ministers Shalom and Livnat, met this morning in a Tel Aviv hotel with NRP leader Effie Eitam. The three Likud ministers tried - unsuccessfully, so far - to convince Eitam to accept the compromise.
The problem for Netanyahu is that if Eitam does not accept it, the NRP is likely to leave the government - thus placing the NRP and much of the nationalist camp on the other side of the fence from Netanyahu.
The problem for the NRP is that it could cause a split within the party, as Minister Eitam and Deputy Minister Levy favor quitting the government if a decision that mentions evacuation of Jewish towns is passed, while Minister Orlev is promoting a "wait and see" approach.
Netanyahu met last night with Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, one of the NRP's two spiritual leaders, and heard from him straight out: "The religious-Zionist [movement] will not be a party to any decision that has to do with destroying Jewish communities. Support for [you] will not be automatic, but will rather be dependent on [your] vote in the Cabinet meeting on Sunday."
The Likud ministers are also interested in keeping the NRP in the government in order to ensure that Labor not be invited to join in its place.
The compromise under consideration was proposed by Minister Tzippy Livni, a supporter of the original disengagement plan and Prime Minister Sharon's political ally. Her plan, which took over from Minister Tommy Lapid's non-starter compromise proposal, calls on the government to approve the withdrawal plan in its entirety in principle, and to establish a committee that will formulate the details over the course of 6-9 months. However, the vote on the actual demolition of the communities will take place only afterwards.
Eitam has explained at length, including yesterday to Arutz-7, that any plan that mentions the demolition of Jewish towns is unacceptable. He said yesterday, "One of the great rabbis of Israel with whom we consulted said, 'Let's say that a government in Israel decides that the Sabbath will no longer be a day of rest, but that this decision will only take effect in a year from now - can anyone imagine that we would remain in the government?!'"
After the meeting this morning, Eitam said only, "The Prime Minister has a plan to solve all of Israel's problems, and that is to ensure that there are no Jews left in Gush Katif by the end of 2005. This is an immoral, terrible and frightening plan, and there is very little chance that word games will solve the problem."
Eitam's party colleague Deputy Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy agrees. "Sharon doesn't care about the exact formulation of the compromise that is reached," he said early this morning. "As long as he has even a little crack that mentions the removal of settlements, he'll be able to run with it - and therefore we cannot support this and will have to leave the government if it is passed."
On the other hand, the NRP's Minister Zevulun Orlev favors not leaving the government if such a compromise is passed. He feels that in addition to the postponement of the actual removal that will be gained, the resignation of the NRP would pave the way for Labor to enter, thus more directly enabling the demolition of communities. "Political elements on the extreme right are inciting the rabbis against the compromise proposal," Orlev said, "which does not include a decision on the evacuation of communities."
Within Labor, opinion is greatly divided. MK Chaim Ramon represents those who are interested in joining a national-unity government with the Likud, while his colleague Ophir Pines says that Sharon wishes to use Labor for his own political purposes. Ramon, for his part, mocked those of the NRP who wish to accept the compromise: "I would love to see the NRP remain in a government that accepts a plan to remove settlements, and take ministerial responsibility for it. After all, the 6-9 months it will take to prepare the actual removal would have been necessary in any event; it takes time to prepare such a move - and does anyone think that once all the preparations have been made, the government will then vote against it?"
The negotiations are taking place in the shadow of the countdown to Sunday's Cabinet meeting. Sharon has dropped hints that he might fire two ministers in order to give himself a majority - but he must do this 48 hours before he wishes the dismissals to take effect. It is currently not clear whether these 48 hours include the Sabbath or not; if they do, Sharon has until tomorrow to fire them, but if not, he must do so today. Failing that, he has two other choices: To postpone the vote once again, or present a compromise plan acceptable to a majority of the Cabinet as it currently stands.
In the meantime, Hamas announced today once again that the reason Sharon wishes to leave Gaza is because of the "Palestinian resistance," i.e., terrorism. The terror organization said that it welcomes any withdrawal, but not if it comes at the expense of a withdrawal from other areas. "Resistance will continue as long as the occupation continues," Hamas stated.
The problem for Netanyahu is that if Eitam does not accept it, the NRP is likely to leave the government - thus placing the NRP and much of the nationalist camp on the other side of the fence from Netanyahu.
The problem for the NRP is that it could cause a split within the party, as Minister Eitam and Deputy Minister Levy favor quitting the government if a decision that mentions evacuation of Jewish towns is passed, while Minister Orlev is promoting a "wait and see" approach.
Netanyahu met last night with Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, one of the NRP's two spiritual leaders, and heard from him straight out: "The religious-Zionist [movement] will not be a party to any decision that has to do with destroying Jewish communities. Support for [you] will not be automatic, but will rather be dependent on [your] vote in the Cabinet meeting on Sunday."
The Likud ministers are also interested in keeping the NRP in the government in order to ensure that Labor not be invited to join in its place.
The compromise under consideration was proposed by Minister Tzippy Livni, a supporter of the original disengagement plan and Prime Minister Sharon's political ally. Her plan, which took over from Minister Tommy Lapid's non-starter compromise proposal, calls on the government to approve the withdrawal plan in its entirety in principle, and to establish a committee that will formulate the details over the course of 6-9 months. However, the vote on the actual demolition of the communities will take place only afterwards.
Eitam has explained at length, including yesterday to Arutz-7, that any plan that mentions the demolition of Jewish towns is unacceptable. He said yesterday, "One of the great rabbis of Israel with whom we consulted said, 'Let's say that a government in Israel decides that the Sabbath will no longer be a day of rest, but that this decision will only take effect in a year from now - can anyone imagine that we would remain in the government?!'"
After the meeting this morning, Eitam said only, "The Prime Minister has a plan to solve all of Israel's problems, and that is to ensure that there are no Jews left in Gush Katif by the end of 2005. This is an immoral, terrible and frightening plan, and there is very little chance that word games will solve the problem."
Eitam's party colleague Deputy Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy agrees. "Sharon doesn't care about the exact formulation of the compromise that is reached," he said early this morning. "As long as he has even a little crack that mentions the removal of settlements, he'll be able to run with it - and therefore we cannot support this and will have to leave the government if it is passed."
On the other hand, the NRP's Minister Zevulun Orlev favors not leaving the government if such a compromise is passed. He feels that in addition to the postponement of the actual removal that will be gained, the resignation of the NRP would pave the way for Labor to enter, thus more directly enabling the demolition of communities. "Political elements on the extreme right are inciting the rabbis against the compromise proposal," Orlev said, "which does not include a decision on the evacuation of communities."
Within Labor, opinion is greatly divided. MK Chaim Ramon represents those who are interested in joining a national-unity government with the Likud, while his colleague Ophir Pines says that Sharon wishes to use Labor for his own political purposes. Ramon, for his part, mocked those of the NRP who wish to accept the compromise: "I would love to see the NRP remain in a government that accepts a plan to remove settlements, and take ministerial responsibility for it. After all, the 6-9 months it will take to prepare the actual removal would have been necessary in any event; it takes time to prepare such a move - and does anyone think that once all the preparations have been made, the government will then vote against it?"
The negotiations are taking place in the shadow of the countdown to Sunday's Cabinet meeting. Sharon has dropped hints that he might fire two ministers in order to give himself a majority - but he must do this 48 hours before he wishes the dismissals to take effect. It is currently not clear whether these 48 hours include the Sabbath or not; if they do, Sharon has until tomorrow to fire them, but if not, he must do so today. Failing that, he has two other choices: To postpone the vote once again, or present a compromise plan acceptable to a majority of the Cabinet as it currently stands.
In the meantime, Hamas announced today once again that the reason Sharon wishes to leave Gaza is because of the "Palestinian resistance," i.e., terrorism. The terror organization said that it welcomes any withdrawal, but not if it comes at the expense of a withdrawal from other areas. "Resistance will continue as long as the occupation continues," Hamas stated.