Yigal Bibi, a former MK of the National Religious Party, told Arutz-7 last night that it his opinion that the party must leave the government. "In general, the rabbis do not intervene in the party's day-to-day affairs," Bibi said, "but the current matter of dismantling communities is a very serious and weighty affair, one that requires the wisdom and impartiality of Torah scholars... At our Knesset faction meeting yesterday, I said that if we ask the rabbis, we must adhere to their ruling - and if we don't listen, this can explain why we only have six Knesset seats..."
"The truth is," Mr. Bibi continued, "that if it were only this issue, then maybe we could have lived with it. But the fact is that the NRP should have quit a while ago, as all the religious services in Israel have been ruined, salaries aren't being paid to the yeshiva rabbis, the yeshivot are in deep financial straits..."
Arutz-7's Amatzia HaEitan said, "The other side in the NRP says that Labor would love nothing better than to get the NRP out of the government, and that if the NRP leaves, it will not be able to do anything in the matter of Gush Katif, yeshivot or anything else against the left-wing secular government that will be formed."
Bibi responded, "There is something to be said for this position, but in my 15 years of Knesset experience, I don't think that a coalition of 61 MKs will have much of a chance to survive... So what will happen is that we will prop up Sharon for a few months while he prepares to carry out the withdrawal, and then when we and some Likud MKs object, he'll bring Labor in to help him finish off the process. If we leave now, however, I am convinced that this government will fall..."
Other members of the NRP say that the party has other issues with which to be concerned other than Land of Israel matters, and should therefore remain in the coalition.
"The truth is," Mr. Bibi continued, "that if it were only this issue, then maybe we could have lived with it. But the fact is that the NRP should have quit a while ago, as all the religious services in Israel have been ruined, salaries aren't being paid to the yeshiva rabbis, the yeshivot are in deep financial straits..."
Arutz-7's Amatzia HaEitan said, "The other side in the NRP says that Labor would love nothing better than to get the NRP out of the government, and that if the NRP leaves, it will not be able to do anything in the matter of Gush Katif, yeshivot or anything else against the left-wing secular government that will be formed."
Bibi responded, "There is something to be said for this position, but in my 15 years of Knesset experience, I don't think that a coalition of 61 MKs will have much of a chance to survive... So what will happen is that we will prop up Sharon for a few months while he prepares to carry out the withdrawal, and then when we and some Likud MKs object, he'll bring Labor in to help him finish off the process. If we leave now, however, I am convinced that this government will fall..."
Other members of the NRP say that the party has other issues with which to be concerned other than Land of Israel matters, and should therefore remain in the coalition.