Sharon met with three Knesset members from the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) faction on Thursday in an attempt to shore up his coalition government, which has survived with the help of UTJ's five mandates.
UTJ MKs, Moshe Gafni, Avraham Ravitz and Ya'akov Litzman, demanded that Sharon stop work on a highway interchange south of Tel Aviv during the Sabbath. Sharon agreed after, requesting the Haredi party's support for the proposed 2006 budget, which the Knesset must approve in order to keep the government from falling.
The Prime Minister promptly told Infrastructure Minister Binyamin (Fuad) Ben-Eliezer (Labor) to order a halt to the work, but the minister said Friday morning that the construction would continue on the Sabbath after the upcoming holidays.
MK Yossi Sarid (Meretz-Yachad) told Ben-Eliezer to "regain his senses" and reject Sharon's order. "It is indeed nice and appropriate to take into consideration the religious community’s feelings, but it is no less important to be considerate of the secular majority who will be stuck in traffic jams for hours," Sarid added.
MK Ehud Rassabi (Shinui) slammed Ben-Eliezer, who he said was being a "floor mop" for Sharon. "Sharon defeated Netanyahu but he is surrendering to the Haredim," Rassabi charged.
UTJ MKs, Moshe Gafni, Avraham Ravitz and Ya'akov Litzman, demanded that Sharon stop work on a highway interchange south of Tel Aviv during the Sabbath. Sharon agreed after, requesting the Haredi party's support for the proposed 2006 budget, which the Knesset must approve in order to keep the government from falling.
The Prime Minister promptly told Infrastructure Minister Binyamin (Fuad) Ben-Eliezer (Labor) to order a halt to the work, but the minister said Friday morning that the construction would continue on the Sabbath after the upcoming holidays.
MK Yossi Sarid (Meretz-Yachad) told Ben-Eliezer to "regain his senses" and reject Sharon's order. "It is indeed nice and appropriate to take into consideration the religious community’s feelings, but it is no less important to be considerate of the secular majority who will be stuck in traffic jams for hours," Sarid added.
MK Ehud Rassabi (Shinui) slammed Ben-Eliezer, who he said was being a "floor mop" for Sharon. "Sharon defeated Netanyahu but he is surrendering to the Haredim," Rassabi charged.