HaNegbi objects to a referendum on the disengagement issue. However, he said today, shortly after announcing the session, "the rules in the Likud are that if 20% of the members demand a Central Committee session, this is what must be done."
Hundreds of signatures have been gathered demanding a debate and decision on a party demand for a national referendum on the disengagement.
"I still believe that a referendum is unnecessary," HaNegbi said, "but we follow the rules... I don't see the point in discussing a referendum, since we saw yesterday that there is no majority in the Knesset for it. This is because some of the parties that object to the disengagement are against a referendum, such as United Torah Judaism and Shas; they fear that once a referendum is held, it is liable to be held on other issues that concern them."
HaNegbi said that he objects to the disengagement and plans to vote against it when it comes up for a vote this coming Sunday in the Cabinet.
It will be recalled that the last Cabinet decision on this issue, on June 6, 2004, specified that it was Israel's "intention to relocate all Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip and four settlements in Samaria by the end of 2005." It specified, however, that this was not an operative decision to dismantle the towns, and that the government must "again convene to decide on whether or not to dismantle communities, which ones and at what rate, depending on the circumstances at the time." The 25 communities slated for destruction – 21 in Gaza and four in northern Shomron - will be divided into four groups, and separate votes are to be held on each group at separate times.
Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz are also reportedly planning to vote against the withdrawal on Sunday, and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom's plans are unknown. Their votes will make no difference, however, as the inclusion of Labor in the coalition gives the plan a certain majority.
Hundreds of signatures have been gathered demanding a debate and decision on a party demand for a national referendum on the disengagement.
"I still believe that a referendum is unnecessary," HaNegbi said, "but we follow the rules... I don't see the point in discussing a referendum, since we saw yesterday that there is no majority in the Knesset for it. This is because some of the parties that object to the disengagement are against a referendum, such as United Torah Judaism and Shas; they fear that once a referendum is held, it is liable to be held on other issues that concern them."
HaNegbi said that he objects to the disengagement and plans to vote against it when it comes up for a vote this coming Sunday in the Cabinet.
It will be recalled that the last Cabinet decision on this issue, on June 6, 2004, specified that it was Israel's "intention to relocate all Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip and four settlements in Samaria by the end of 2005." It specified, however, that this was not an operative decision to dismantle the towns, and that the government must "again convene to decide on whether or not to dismantle communities, which ones and at what rate, depending on the circumstances at the time." The 25 communities slated for destruction – 21 in Gaza and four in northern Shomron - will be divided into four groups, and separate votes are to be held on each group at separate times.
Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz are also reportedly planning to vote against the withdrawal on Sunday, and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom's plans are unknown. Their votes will make no difference, however, as the inclusion of Labor in the coalition gives the plan a certain majority.