Things are hopping in the National Religious Party. Having been split for the past three months over the issue of when to resign from the government, the MKs may now have found a solution - but it might come at the price of their leader, Effie Eitam.
Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev, who has remained in the coalition government together with three others of the party's six MKs, together with MK Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, proposed a framework specifying the conditions under which the entire party would leave the government. The document states that if any one of several conditions applies, the party will quit in toto.
Party leader MK Effie Eitam and MK Levy had been allied in their steadfast refusal to return to the "disengagement" government - until yesterday. Levy now reportedly agrees to Orlev's proposal, such that Eitam now finds himself in a minority of one. Orlev and Eitam were to meet last night, but the latter did not show up.
If any one of the following conditions applies, Orlev has agreed that the party will quit the government:
a. The government and Knesset approve the uprooting of Jewish communities in Gush Katif and northern Shomron.
b. The Knesset completes the legislation of the "Evacuation and Compensation Law" towards the implementation of Sharon's disengagement/expulsion plan.
c. The Labor Party joins the current coalition. If Labor joins together with another religious party, however, the NRP will not quit.
d. The 2005 budget does not provide for the operation of religious services and institutions.
Significantly, NRP Secretary-General told Arutz-7 today that another condition is that there must be a national referendum on the question of the disengagement, and that if not, the party would quit the government. "In that case, why should there be a disagreement?" asked Arutz-7. "Prime Minister Sharon has already rejected the idea of a referendum, saying there is not enough time to arrange it [before Nov. 3, the day the Knesset is supposed to vote on disengagement legislation]. If so, Orlev is basically agreeing to quit, so Eitam should agree."
Ben-Tzur responded, "I advise you to wait until Monday." The NRP Central Committee will convene on Monday in Tel Aviv to decide whether or not to quit the government.
Arutz-7 then spoke with Effie Eitam and asked him, "What's the problem? Ben-Tzur said that Orlev agrees to quit if there's no referendum, and Sharon has said that there won't be a referendum, so why don't you agree to this proposal?" Eitam responded impatiently, "You believe them? How long are we going to wait for Sharon? What happens if he suddenly agrees to hold a referendum? ... Fine - if it's written that Sharon will not conduct a referendum and therefore the NRP will quit the government, I'll agree."
Rabbi Levy confirmed for Arutz-7 today that one of the conditions for the NRP to remain in the government is that a referendum must be held, with a "special majority" - i.e., at least 60% of the populace must approve the disengagement plan for it to be accepted. "This is the condition that I think makes it possible for us to agree to this compromise," he said, adding that he hopes that Eitam will also agree in the end. "This is the best we can achieve," Levy said.
Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev, who has remained in the coalition government together with three others of the party's six MKs, together with MK Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, proposed a framework specifying the conditions under which the entire party would leave the government. The document states that if any one of several conditions applies, the party will quit in toto.
Party leader MK Effie Eitam and MK Levy had been allied in their steadfast refusal to return to the "disengagement" government - until yesterday. Levy now reportedly agrees to Orlev's proposal, such that Eitam now finds himself in a minority of one. Orlev and Eitam were to meet last night, but the latter did not show up.
If any one of the following conditions applies, Orlev has agreed that the party will quit the government:
a. The government and Knesset approve the uprooting of Jewish communities in Gush Katif and northern Shomron.
b. The Knesset completes the legislation of the "Evacuation and Compensation Law" towards the implementation of Sharon's disengagement/expulsion plan.
c. The Labor Party joins the current coalition. If Labor joins together with another religious party, however, the NRP will not quit.
d. The 2005 budget does not provide for the operation of religious services and institutions.
Significantly, NRP Secretary-General told Arutz-7 today that another condition is that there must be a national referendum on the question of the disengagement, and that if not, the party would quit the government. "In that case, why should there be a disagreement?" asked Arutz-7. "Prime Minister Sharon has already rejected the idea of a referendum, saying there is not enough time to arrange it [before Nov. 3, the day the Knesset is supposed to vote on disengagement legislation]. If so, Orlev is basically agreeing to quit, so Eitam should agree."
Ben-Tzur responded, "I advise you to wait until Monday." The NRP Central Committee will convene on Monday in Tel Aviv to decide whether or not to quit the government.
Arutz-7 then spoke with Effie Eitam and asked him, "What's the problem? Ben-Tzur said that Orlev agrees to quit if there's no referendum, and Sharon has said that there won't be a referendum, so why don't you agree to this proposal?" Eitam responded impatiently, "You believe them? How long are we going to wait for Sharon? What happens if he suddenly agrees to hold a referendum? ... Fine - if it's written that Sharon will not conduct a referendum and therefore the NRP will quit the government, I'll agree."
Rabbi Levy confirmed for Arutz-7 today that one of the conditions for the NRP to remain in the government is that a referendum must be held, with a "special majority" - i.e., at least 60% of the populace must approve the disengagement plan for it to be accepted. "This is the condition that I think makes it possible for us to agree to this compromise," he said, adding that he hopes that Eitam will also agree in the end. "This is the best we can achieve," Levy said.