Army Radio reported this morning that at least two Likud MKs told their colleagues in the National Religious Party that the only way to stop Sharon's disengagement/expulsion plan is by bringing about new elections. One Likud member attended an NRP meeting yesterday and said outright, "You should all have quit the coalition, just as Effie Eitam and Yitzchak Levy did. This way, you're just helping advance the disengagement plan." Not all Likud "rebels" feel that way, however; Minister Uzi Landau, a premier opponent of the withdrawal plan, has said that the NRP's presence in the government helps keep Labor out.
NRP leader Effie Eitam, whose resignation from the Cabinet in opposition to the disengagement plan has led to inter-party tensions, said this morning, "Yesterday's was not a secret meeting, and not only those Likud MKs are saying [that we should leave]. In fact, many Likud people all around the country are saying that new elections are needed... Prime Minister Sharon must choose: either new elections, or else having his party lose its way sandwiched in between Shinui and Labor."
Eitam said that it could be "a matter of hours" - referring to the Likud-Labor coalition negotiations - before his party colleagues realize that they must quit the coalition: "We have decided that if/when Labor joins, our Central Committee will convene and will decide whether to leave. I will convene the Committee immediately for this purpose."
On other coalition-negotiation fronts, Prime Minister Sharon has rejected two conditions set by the Shinui party regarding the inclusion of the hareidi United Torah Judaism party in the coalition. The ultra-anti-hareidi Shinui decided earlier this week to reverse its long-time promise never to sit in a government with hareidim, and to agree to "consider" sitting with UTJ.
Yesterday, however, Shinui leader Justice Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid set two conditions - which were both promptly rejected by Prime Minister Sharon. UTJ could join the coalition, but not the government, stated Lapid - meaning that it could not have any ministers - and neither could it be granted the chairmanship of the Knesset Finance Committee. Sharon nixed both: "Lapid does not set the composition of the government, nor of the Finance Committee," he told UTJ's MK Avraham Ravitz last night by phone, "and I have informed him of such."
Lapid announced afterwards that his party remains committed to the conditions it set regarding UTJ: "Shinui is willing to consider the inclusion of United Torah Judaism in the coalition but not the government, after the inclusion of Labor, and on condition that the 'couples pact' and the army-exemption laws are passed."
UTJ, for its part, says it cannot sit in the same government as Shinui, given the latter's anti-religious platform. "Only if Shinui is out of the government can we say that the negotiations between us and the Likud are completed," said MK Yaakov Litzman.
In the meantime, Shas - the other hareidi party, which Shinui has rejected outright - has begun a drive to de-legitimize Shinui. "Stop Lapid the Racist," is the name of the new Shas campaign.
NRP leader Effie Eitam, whose resignation from the Cabinet in opposition to the disengagement plan has led to inter-party tensions, said this morning, "Yesterday's was not a secret meeting, and not only those Likud MKs are saying [that we should leave]. In fact, many Likud people all around the country are saying that new elections are needed... Prime Minister Sharon must choose: either new elections, or else having his party lose its way sandwiched in between Shinui and Labor."
Eitam said that it could be "a matter of hours" - referring to the Likud-Labor coalition negotiations - before his party colleagues realize that they must quit the coalition: "We have decided that if/when Labor joins, our Central Committee will convene and will decide whether to leave. I will convene the Committee immediately for this purpose."
On other coalition-negotiation fronts, Prime Minister Sharon has rejected two conditions set by the Shinui party regarding the inclusion of the hareidi United Torah Judaism party in the coalition. The ultra-anti-hareidi Shinui decided earlier this week to reverse its long-time promise never to sit in a government with hareidim, and to agree to "consider" sitting with UTJ.
Yesterday, however, Shinui leader Justice Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid set two conditions - which were both promptly rejected by Prime Minister Sharon. UTJ could join the coalition, but not the government, stated Lapid - meaning that it could not have any ministers - and neither could it be granted the chairmanship of the Knesset Finance Committee. Sharon nixed both: "Lapid does not set the composition of the government, nor of the Finance Committee," he told UTJ's MK Avraham Ravitz last night by phone, "and I have informed him of such."
Lapid announced afterwards that his party remains committed to the conditions it set regarding UTJ: "Shinui is willing to consider the inclusion of United Torah Judaism in the coalition but not the government, after the inclusion of Labor, and on condition that the 'couples pact' and the army-exemption laws are passed."
UTJ, for its part, says it cannot sit in the same government as Shinui, given the latter's anti-religious platform. "Only if Shinui is out of the government can we say that the negotiations between us and the Likud are completed," said MK Yaakov Litzman.
In the meantime, Shas - the other hareidi party, which Shinui has rejected outright - has begun a drive to de-legitimize Shinui. "Stop Lapid the Racist," is the name of the new Shas campaign.