Yesterday's Cabinet decision was accompanied by three separate, but related, dramatic controversies that unfolded in the course of the day. The first was the firing of the two National Union ministers, Benny Elon and Avigdor Lieberman. Lieberman received his letter on Friday, such that by Sunday morning he was no longer a Cabinet member. Elon, however, did not accept his until Saturday night - he spent the Sabbath at a secret location - and therefore claimed throughout the day that he was still a minister and eligible to vote. "I will do everything I can to make it harder for Sharon to pass this evil plan," Elon said. "I am ashamed that we have reached this stage, that a democratic country acts like a non-democratic country - firing an entire party just to create an artificial majority. And if he still doesn't have a majority, what will he do, fire three more ministers? ... My vote could be the deciding one, and many voters chose me for this specific and critical moment."
During the course of the day, four petitions were submitted to the Supreme Court against the dismissals, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Edmond Levy even proposed that Sharon postpone the Cabinet session in order to head off the "humiliation" of a restraining order against him. "What was the logic in firing these ministers in such a panic?" Judge Levy asked. Sharon, however, called his bluff, and Levy in fact backed down, refusing to order a restraining order and instead setting a hearing for a later date. Once Elon saw that the Supreme Court had not provided him with "legal relief," he acknowledged that he was fired, and set off for his Tourism Ministry office to remove his belongings.
At the same time, intensive efforts were underway to find a compromise disengagement proposal that Ministers Netanyahu, Shalom and Livnat could agree to. At stake was the "unity of the Likud," according to some of the ministers involved - implying that if Sharon were to propose a full disengagement proposal, the three would vote against it, likely leading to a full-fledged anti-Sharon revolution within the Likud. In the end, the compromise was found, and it passed by a very comfortable 14-7 margin. Ironically, the dismissal of Elon and Lieberman turned out to be unnecessary, as their votes would not have made a difference - and in any event, they would likely have resigned on their own after the vote.
The third drama continues today as well, and it concerns the position of - and possible split in - the National Religious Party; see separate story below.
During the course of the day, four petitions were submitted to the Supreme Court against the dismissals, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Edmond Levy even proposed that Sharon postpone the Cabinet session in order to head off the "humiliation" of a restraining order against him. "What was the logic in firing these ministers in such a panic?" Judge Levy asked. Sharon, however, called his bluff, and Levy in fact backed down, refusing to order a restraining order and instead setting a hearing for a later date. Once Elon saw that the Supreme Court had not provided him with "legal relief," he acknowledged that he was fired, and set off for his Tourism Ministry office to remove his belongings.
At the same time, intensive efforts were underway to find a compromise disengagement proposal that Ministers Netanyahu, Shalom and Livnat could agree to. At stake was the "unity of the Likud," according to some of the ministers involved - implying that if Sharon were to propose a full disengagement proposal, the three would vote against it, likely leading to a full-fledged anti-Sharon revolution within the Likud. In the end, the compromise was found, and it passed by a very comfortable 14-7 margin. Ironically, the dismissal of Elon and Lieberman turned out to be unnecessary, as their votes would not have made a difference - and in any event, they would likely have resigned on their own after the vote.
The third drama continues today as well, and it concerns the position of - and possible split in - the National Religious Party; see separate story below.