The six Knesset Members of the NRP will vote against the withdrawal plan today - but that is the only thing about the party's political stand that is clear at present. Party leader MK Effie Eitam may or may not start a new Knesset faction after the vote, and he might do so with or without MK Yitzchak Levy. The remaining four MKs are also leaving open the question of whether they will quit the government immediately after tonight's vote.
MK Nissan Slomiansky of the NRP said in the Knesset last night, "I listened to the Prime Minister, and hoped to hear an answer to the mystery, what causes a Prime Minister to get up one morning and shake off his entire past and all his accomplishments... He doesn't even say that he is being forced by foreign powers; the U.S. is not pressing - and who knows if the U.S. is altogether in favor of this move?... Everyone in the IDF says openly that the security situation will become worse; we see it already now... The way in which Sharon is acting appears to be almost absolutely dictatorial. He sends his aide Dov Weisglass to the U.S. 19 times to persuade the Americans so that afterwards he can tell the Cabinet that if they don't agree, they'll be harming our relations with the U.S. He saw he has no majority, so he fired two ministers... He has brought upon us this whole issue of refusal to carry out orders, something that can destroy the IDF, Heaven forbid... We therefore say to him: At least agree to a referendum. This would prevent much of the split in the nation."
MK Nissan Slomiansky of the NRP said in the Knesset last night, "I listened to the Prime Minister, and hoped to hear an answer to the mystery, what causes a Prime Minister to get up one morning and shake off his entire past and all his accomplishments... He doesn't even say that he is being forced by foreign powers; the U.S. is not pressing - and who knows if the U.S. is altogether in favor of this move?... Everyone in the IDF says openly that the security situation will become worse; we see it already now... The way in which Sharon is acting appears to be almost absolutely dictatorial. He sends his aide Dov Weisglass to the U.S. 19 times to persuade the Americans so that afterwards he can tell the Cabinet that if they don't agree, they'll be harming our relations with the U.S. He saw he has no majority, so he fired two ministers... He has brought upon us this whole issue of refusal to carry out orders, something that can destroy the IDF, Heaven forbid... We therefore say to him: At least agree to a referendum. This would prevent much of the split in the nation."