The National Religious Party faces a dramatic and difficult decision this week: whether to remain in or leave the government coalition. Party leader Housing Minister Effie Eitam and Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev are on opposing sides of the issue. Both voted against the plan in the Cabinet yesterday, of course, but there their paths parted.
Minister Eitam says, in accordance with the position of Rabbis Shapira and Eliyahu, that a party that stands for Torah ideals cannot remain in a government that is headed to uproot Jewish communities from the Land of Israel. MK Yitzchak Levy and possibly MK Nissan Slomiansky agree with him. Minister Orlev, however, says that a decision must be made from the "head, not from the gut," and that a) there remain many months before even one community is to be dismantled, if at all, and b) the NRP has other battles to fight, such as religion and state, funding for religious education, preventing the formation of a left-wing secular government, and the like. MKs Sha'ul Yahalom and Gila Finkelstein agree with Orlev.
At stake is the future of the current coalition. If the NRP leaves, Sharon will remain with the support of only 55 MKs - 40 of the Likud and 15 of Shinui. He will then turn to Labor, which is divided over the issue of whether to join, and the entry of which will turn many Likud MKs against Sharon. His first test will come later this afternoon, with the proposal of several no-confidence motions in the government. Labor - except for its new Am Echad faction - has announced that it will not vote against the government, while the NRP is wavering.
MK Levy said today that the NRP will not have genuine power within the government - "Sharon will throw us out like he did with the National Union and replace us with Labor the moment we make him too much trouble" - and must therefore quit now: "Sharon does everything without the government - he went to Bush without the government, Weisglass exchanged letters with Bush without the government, and then when he finally needed the government and he didn't have a majority, he threw out the National Union. He'll do the same now: for nine months he'll do what he wants, and when it comes up for a Cabinet vote, he'll throw us out."
MK Yahalom said, "The stupidest thing we can do now is to leave, because the minute we do, Labor will crawl in, and that will be the end of Gush Katif. In a month from now, if we see that this plan is really taking shape, we can leave then... Nine months from now [when the plan is scheduled to be executed] is an eternity in Israeli politics. Anything can happen."
The six MKs convened yesterday, and again today, to try and resolve the issue. They met with Rabbis Eliyahu and Shapira, who suggested that they continue to discuss the issue among themselves, and then return to consult with them [the rabbis] later. It is far from clear if all the MKs will see themselves as bound by whatever decision is reached. MK Levy said that it could be that the party will leave the coalition in "two stages."
Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, anxious to ensure that the NRP remains in the government so as not to pave the way for Labor's entry, is meeting this afternoon with Rabbis Eliyahu and Shapira in the latter's home. He is trying to convince the rabbis of the importance of keeping the NRP in the government coalition.
The final decision must be made, or ratified, by the party's Central Committee.
Minister Eitam says, in accordance with the position of Rabbis Shapira and Eliyahu, that a party that stands for Torah ideals cannot remain in a government that is headed to uproot Jewish communities from the Land of Israel. MK Yitzchak Levy and possibly MK Nissan Slomiansky agree with him. Minister Orlev, however, says that a decision must be made from the "head, not from the gut," and that a) there remain many months before even one community is to be dismantled, if at all, and b) the NRP has other battles to fight, such as religion and state, funding for religious education, preventing the formation of a left-wing secular government, and the like. MKs Sha'ul Yahalom and Gila Finkelstein agree with Orlev.
At stake is the future of the current coalition. If the NRP leaves, Sharon will remain with the support of only 55 MKs - 40 of the Likud and 15 of Shinui. He will then turn to Labor, which is divided over the issue of whether to join, and the entry of which will turn many Likud MKs against Sharon. His first test will come later this afternoon, with the proposal of several no-confidence motions in the government. Labor - except for its new Am Echad faction - has announced that it will not vote against the government, while the NRP is wavering.
MK Levy said today that the NRP will not have genuine power within the government - "Sharon will throw us out like he did with the National Union and replace us with Labor the moment we make him too much trouble" - and must therefore quit now: "Sharon does everything without the government - he went to Bush without the government, Weisglass exchanged letters with Bush without the government, and then when he finally needed the government and he didn't have a majority, he threw out the National Union. He'll do the same now: for nine months he'll do what he wants, and when it comes up for a Cabinet vote, he'll throw us out."
MK Yahalom said, "The stupidest thing we can do now is to leave, because the minute we do, Labor will crawl in, and that will be the end of Gush Katif. In a month from now, if we see that this plan is really taking shape, we can leave then... Nine months from now [when the plan is scheduled to be executed] is an eternity in Israeli politics. Anything can happen."
The six MKs convened yesterday, and again today, to try and resolve the issue. They met with Rabbis Eliyahu and Shapira, who suggested that they continue to discuss the issue among themselves, and then return to consult with them [the rabbis] later. It is far from clear if all the MKs will see themselves as bound by whatever decision is reached. MK Levy said that it could be that the party will leave the coalition in "two stages."
Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, anxious to ensure that the NRP remains in the government so as not to pave the way for Labor's entry, is meeting this afternoon with Rabbis Eliyahu and Shapira in the latter's home. He is trying to convince the rabbis of the importance of keeping the NRP in the government coalition.
The final decision must be made, or ratified, by the party's Central Committee.