Minister of Welfare Zevulun Orlev (NRP) is calling upon his party colleagues MKs Effie Eitam and Rabbi Yitzchak Levy to return to the government coalition in order to prevent the Labor Party from joining.
Orlev said last night that the entry of Labor into the coalition would lead to the broadening and hastening of the Gaza withdrawal plan, harm Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel, and lead to the NRP's departure from the coalition. " We should remember that the need to pursue Labor's joining the coalition was caused by Eitam's vote [against the government in last week's no-confidence motion, leading to a tie vote - ed.], which created an urgency for Sharon in recruiting the Labor party. I call upon Eitam and Levy to return to the government to prevent irreparable damage to Gush Katif and the residents of Judea and Samaria," said Orlev.
Eitam, for his part, says that in any event, Labor will be called in to replace the NRP at some stage, and that there is therefore no point in giving Sharon a cushion until that time. Eitam, in fact, plans to vote against the government in at least one today's no-confidence motions in the Knesset.
Orlev said last night that the entry of Labor into the coalition would lead to the broadening and hastening of the Gaza withdrawal plan, harm Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel, and lead to the NRP's departure from the coalition. " We should remember that the need to pursue Labor's joining the coalition was caused by Eitam's vote [against the government in last week's no-confidence motion, leading to a tie vote - ed.], which created an urgency for Sharon in recruiting the Labor party. I call upon Eitam and Levy to return to the government to prevent irreparable damage to Gush Katif and the residents of Judea and Samaria," said Orlev.
Eitam, for his part, says that in any event, Labor will be called in to replace the NRP at some stage, and that there is therefore no point in giving Sharon a cushion until that time. Eitam, in fact, plans to vote against the government in at least one today's no-confidence motions in the Knesset.