Despite the Cabinet decision on Sunday stating that the withdrawal from Gaza will not begin until several months from now, signs continue to pile up indicating that this is not the case. Gush Katif residents report that "military pressure" is being applied on them. This includes the removal of soldiers from army checkpoints, and the resumption of unchallenged missile attacks against the town of Netzer Hazani from the adjacent Arab town of Khan Yunis.
In addition, government feelers are out for residents who wish to quit Gaza already in the coming weeks and receive an advance on their financial compensation. One Israeli delivery company has a map on its website showing Gaza attached to Sinai, separate from Israel.
These developments put several MKs of the National Religious Party on the defensive, as they refuse to quit the government until they see "concrete steps" being taken towards the dismantling of Jewish communities. Asked how she views the current atmosphere, MK Gila Finkelstein told Arutz-7's Yosef Meiri today, "Of course I lean towards quitting the government, and it could even be that within the coming week we will do so." She said, however, that unity in the party must be preserved:
"What I object to about [party leader Effie] Eitam's actions [his resignation from the government because of the Cabinet decision to proceed with the disengagement plan] is that he did it unilaterally, even though other MKs in the party did not agree. When we went to the rabbis [former Chief Rabbis Eliyahu and Shapira], they told us that we must maintain party unity..."
MK Finkelstein said that this coming Monday, the 6 party's six MKs will convene and decide how to vote on the no-confidence motion scheduled to be raised later that day. She also expressed her concern over the de-legitimization of the Jewish population in Gush Katif: "They are all precious people, they are like my family. I greatly fear that if they are pressured or marginalized too much, the consequences will be the opposite of what we all wish. We have had bad experiences in the past with inter-Jewish tensions."
A spokesman for MK Sha'ul Yahalom, who, together with Minister Zevulun Orlev, is more fervently in favor of remaining in the government for now, acknowledged, "Yes, there is definitely an atmosphere that matters are moving towards something [the total evacuation of Jewish Gaza], and we do not yet know how to stop it." There is still rancor between Yahalom and Eitam, however; Yahalom said last night, "Eitam will be forever remembered as the one who brought Labor into the government."
Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, who resigned from his position as Deputy Minister together with Eitam, has explained that remaining in the government would allow Sharon to continue preparing for the withdrawal/expulsion, and then to "throw us out the minute we threaten to vote against it in the Cabinet."
In addition, government feelers are out for residents who wish to quit Gaza already in the coming weeks and receive an advance on their financial compensation. One Israeli delivery company has a map on its website showing Gaza attached to Sinai, separate from Israel.
These developments put several MKs of the National Religious Party on the defensive, as they refuse to quit the government until they see "concrete steps" being taken towards the dismantling of Jewish communities. Asked how she views the current atmosphere, MK Gila Finkelstein told Arutz-7's Yosef Meiri today, "Of course I lean towards quitting the government, and it could even be that within the coming week we will do so." She said, however, that unity in the party must be preserved:
"What I object to about [party leader Effie] Eitam's actions [his resignation from the government because of the Cabinet decision to proceed with the disengagement plan] is that he did it unilaterally, even though other MKs in the party did not agree. When we went to the rabbis [former Chief Rabbis Eliyahu and Shapira], they told us that we must maintain party unity..."
MK Finkelstein said that this coming Monday, the 6 party's six MKs will convene and decide how to vote on the no-confidence motion scheduled to be raised later that day. She also expressed her concern over the de-legitimization of the Jewish population in Gush Katif: "They are all precious people, they are like my family. I greatly fear that if they are pressured or marginalized too much, the consequences will be the opposite of what we all wish. We have had bad experiences in the past with inter-Jewish tensions."
A spokesman for MK Sha'ul Yahalom, who, together with Minister Zevulun Orlev, is more fervently in favor of remaining in the government for now, acknowledged, "Yes, there is definitely an atmosphere that matters are moving towards something [the total evacuation of Jewish Gaza], and we do not yet know how to stop it." There is still rancor between Yahalom and Eitam, however; Yahalom said last night, "Eitam will be forever remembered as the one who brought Labor into the government."
Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, who resigned from his position as Deputy Minister together with Eitam, has explained that remaining in the government would allow Sharon to continue preparing for the withdrawal/expulsion, and then to "throw us out the minute we threaten to vote against it in the Cabinet."