Deputy Minister of Education Tzvi Hendel, the third National Union member of the government, resigned this morning. In a sharply-worded letter to Prime Minister Sharon, Hendel wrote, "This letter is submitted with pain and pity for a Hero of Israel who has deteriorated from a 'high roof to a deep pit,' and who has thrown off all Zionist, settlement and democratic values." Hendel, a resident of Ganei Tal in Gush Katif and a former Mayor of the Gaza Coast Regional Council, will hold a press conference this afternoon before the National Union Knesset faction session.
Law Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer of the Hebrew University said today that an Israeli prime minister may fire ministers only for a substantial reason, such as their failure to perform their ministerial functions. He noted that the entire government of Israel is the executive body, unlike in the US, where the President is the Chief Executive. Voice of Israel's legal commentator Moshe Negbi, whose opinions are generally pleasing to the left-wing of the political spectrum, expressed his opinion that even if the dismissals are legal, the 48 hours that must pass before they take effect should not include the Sabbath. According to both legal experts, then, both Lieberman and Elon should be able to vote in today's Cabinet vote.
The editorial in HaTzofeh newspaper today stated:
"Nowhere in the coalition agreement is it stated that the ministers may [not] think differently than His Eminence the Ruler. But apparently, for Sharon it was self-evident: In a dictatorship, it's inconceivable to think differently than his Eminence.
"To tell the truth, it was actually Ariel Sharon who violated clear obligations, because after the last elections he objected sharply and bitingly to the idea of a unilateral withdrawal... Less than a year ago, he promised that Egypt would not be involved in the diplomatic process until it returned its Ambassador to Israel and freed Azzam Azzam. Since then, Egypt has become more involved, its intelligence chiefs visit here frequently, and the only thing that has not changed is the arms-smuggling tunnels, some of which are dug from within Egyptian [military] outposts... "
Law Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer of the Hebrew University said today that an Israeli prime minister may fire ministers only for a substantial reason, such as their failure to perform their ministerial functions. He noted that the entire government of Israel is the executive body, unlike in the US, where the President is the Chief Executive. Voice of Israel's legal commentator Moshe Negbi, whose opinions are generally pleasing to the left-wing of the political spectrum, expressed his opinion that even if the dismissals are legal, the 48 hours that must pass before they take effect should not include the Sabbath. According to both legal experts, then, both Lieberman and Elon should be able to vote in today's Cabinet vote.
The editorial in HaTzofeh newspaper today stated:
"Nowhere in the coalition agreement is it stated that the ministers may [not] think differently than His Eminence the Ruler. But apparently, for Sharon it was self-evident: In a dictatorship, it's inconceivable to think differently than his Eminence.
"To tell the truth, it was actually Ariel Sharon who violated clear obligations, because after the last elections he objected sharply and bitingly to the idea of a unilateral withdrawal... Less than a year ago, he promised that Egypt would not be involved in the diplomatic process until it returned its Ambassador to Israel and freed Azzam Azzam. Since then, Egypt has become more involved, its intelligence chiefs visit here frequently, and the only thing that has not changed is the arms-smuggling tunnels, some of which are dug from within Egyptian [military] outposts... "