Minister Avigdor Lieberman is fired, Minister Benny Elon says he's still a member of the government, the three Likud mini-rebels have agreed to compromise (as of 3 PM this afternoon), the NRP is probably on its way out - and amidst all, the disengagement plan is liable to be passed in a Cabinet vote today.
Facing a 12-11 majority against his withdrawal/expulsion plan on Friday morning, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided to fire the two ministers of the National Union party in order to obtain an 11-10 majority in favor. Lieberman received the dismissal letter shortly before 11 AM, and the dismissal will take effect this morning. Elon, however, refused to make himself available to receive the letter, saying, "I will do everything in my power to make it harder for Sharon to carry out this evil plan."
Sharon attempted to fire Elon via telephone, but Elon refused to acknowledge that on the other end of the line was the Prime Minister. "How do I know you're not Yatzpan?" he asked, referring to Israel's national impersonator. He then went into hiding, coming out only last night to say that he would participate in today's meeting. "I'm likely to resign anyway in the coming days," Elon responded to all those who called his behavior "childlike," but "many tens of thousands of people voted for us specifically for today's vote, and I plan to exercise that privilege today." Attorney-General Mazuz is reported to have ruled that Elon's dismissal will take effect at 4 PM, after which he will be asked to leave the Cabinet room.
Three emergency lawsuits against the dismissal of Elon and Lieberman have been submitted to the Supreme Court. They claim that Sharon must fire a minister in writing and must inform the Cabinet beforehand, and that he is not allowed to fire a minister simply because the two do not agree. Lieberman said on Friday, "This will be the first time that a minister is fired not because he didn't do his job, and not because he acted in opposition to the government - but only because he doesn't agree with the Prime Minister! Is a minister not allowed to express his opinion? This shows Sharon's weakness and his inability to persuade his own ministers... Instead of accepting the fact that he was unable to convince his government, he goes and fires ministers in order to obtain an artificial majority!"
Sharon's efforts on behalf of ensuring that "there will be no Jews left in Gaza by the end of 2005," as he told a Knesset committee last week, did not end with firing Lieberman and Elon. He also is trying to win over the votes of Ministers Netanyahu, Shalom and Livnat - and to this end, Minister Tzippy Livny has been attempting to mediate a compromise that will be acceptable to all. As of this morning, it appears that such a compromise has been found. Its exact wording is not known, but it apparently states that there is an "intention" to rid Gaza of all its Jews by the end of 2005, that new construction will not be permitted in the communities slated for demolition, and that most construction already underway will be permitted to continue.
The five Shinui party ministers demanded that a date be set for the disengagement/dismantling plan to begin. They even walked out of the Cabinet session when they learned that this demand was not met. Shinui will, however, apparently suffice with a separate declaration by the Prime Minister to the effect that the plan will be implemented beginning in March 2005.
Today's vote is causing the National Religious Party, which is totally against the dismantling of Jewish towns, a separate set of problems. Party leader Effie Eitam, Minister of Housing, says that the NRP must resign from the coalition immediately after the vote, while its other minister, Zevulun Orlev, was still considering, as of early this morning, whether to accept the compromise.
Orlev initiated a meeting with former Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu last night; the two informed him of their absolute objections to remaining in a government that resolves to uproot Jewish communities from the Land of Israel. Orlev made it clear this morning that though the party consults with its spiritual leaders, its final decisions are made by the democratic body of the Central Committee. Most of the party's MKs are against remaining in the government under the current circumstances.
The Cabinet meeting began at 11 AM, and began with issues other than the Gaza retreat plan, including confirming the appointment of Moshe Karadi as Israel's next Police Chief.
With the departure of the National Union, and assuming the NRP also quits, the coalition will be left with 56 MKs. It will thus be dependent not only upon the good graces of the opposition Labor party to prop it up in future no-confidence votes, but also upon the votes of Likud MKs who strongly object to Sharon's political and diplomatic moves.
Facing a 12-11 majority against his withdrawal/expulsion plan on Friday morning, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided to fire the two ministers of the National Union party in order to obtain an 11-10 majority in favor. Lieberman received the dismissal letter shortly before 11 AM, and the dismissal will take effect this morning. Elon, however, refused to make himself available to receive the letter, saying, "I will do everything in my power to make it harder for Sharon to carry out this evil plan."
Sharon attempted to fire Elon via telephone, but Elon refused to acknowledge that on the other end of the line was the Prime Minister. "How do I know you're not Yatzpan?" he asked, referring to Israel's national impersonator. He then went into hiding, coming out only last night to say that he would participate in today's meeting. "I'm likely to resign anyway in the coming days," Elon responded to all those who called his behavior "childlike," but "many tens of thousands of people voted for us specifically for today's vote, and I plan to exercise that privilege today." Attorney-General Mazuz is reported to have ruled that Elon's dismissal will take effect at 4 PM, after which he will be asked to leave the Cabinet room.
Three emergency lawsuits against the dismissal of Elon and Lieberman have been submitted to the Supreme Court. They claim that Sharon must fire a minister in writing and must inform the Cabinet beforehand, and that he is not allowed to fire a minister simply because the two do not agree. Lieberman said on Friday, "This will be the first time that a minister is fired not because he didn't do his job, and not because he acted in opposition to the government - but only because he doesn't agree with the Prime Minister! Is a minister not allowed to express his opinion? This shows Sharon's weakness and his inability to persuade his own ministers... Instead of accepting the fact that he was unable to convince his government, he goes and fires ministers in order to obtain an artificial majority!"
Sharon's efforts on behalf of ensuring that "there will be no Jews left in Gaza by the end of 2005," as he told a Knesset committee last week, did not end with firing Lieberman and Elon. He also is trying to win over the votes of Ministers Netanyahu, Shalom and Livnat - and to this end, Minister Tzippy Livny has been attempting to mediate a compromise that will be acceptable to all. As of this morning, it appears that such a compromise has been found. Its exact wording is not known, but it apparently states that there is an "intention" to rid Gaza of all its Jews by the end of 2005, that new construction will not be permitted in the communities slated for demolition, and that most construction already underway will be permitted to continue.
The five Shinui party ministers demanded that a date be set for the disengagement/dismantling plan to begin. They even walked out of the Cabinet session when they learned that this demand was not met. Shinui will, however, apparently suffice with a separate declaration by the Prime Minister to the effect that the plan will be implemented beginning in March 2005.
Today's vote is causing the National Religious Party, which is totally against the dismantling of Jewish towns, a separate set of problems. Party leader Effie Eitam, Minister of Housing, says that the NRP must resign from the coalition immediately after the vote, while its other minister, Zevulun Orlev, was still considering, as of early this morning, whether to accept the compromise.
Orlev initiated a meeting with former Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu last night; the two informed him of their absolute objections to remaining in a government that resolves to uproot Jewish communities from the Land of Israel. Orlev made it clear this morning that though the party consults with its spiritual leaders, its final decisions are made by the democratic body of the Central Committee. Most of the party's MKs are against remaining in the government under the current circumstances.
The Cabinet meeting began at 11 AM, and began with issues other than the Gaza retreat plan, including confirming the appointment of Moshe Karadi as Israel's next Police Chief.
With the departure of the National Union, and assuming the NRP also quits, the coalition will be left with 56 MKs. It will thus be dependent not only upon the good graces of the opposition Labor party to prop it up in future no-confidence votes, but also upon the votes of Likud MKs who strongly object to Sharon's political and diplomatic moves.