Disengagement Opponents Now Threaten To Vote Against Budget In Order To Torpedo Withdrawal Cabinet Approves Compensation Bill For Settlers
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s decision will not block the Knesset passage of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s withdrawal plan on Tuesday. However, the 11 Shas votes against the pullout from Gaza and 4 West Bank settlements, has added momentum to Sharon’s opponents. The opponents are now threatening to scuttle the new state budget which will come before the House within two weeks.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will now win the Knesset disengagement vote on points not by a knockout…that is the result of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s decision to vote against the pullout. The confrontation continues unabated.
If the 11 Shas MKs abstained, Prime Minister Sharon would have won the withdrawal vote by a near knockout. Now that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s rejects it, Sharon will have to settle for a win on points only. The Shas decision against the Prime Minister has added momentum to Sharon’s opponents. Having to acquiesce in Sharon’s victory on Tuesday, the Likud rebels are now threatening to torpedo the new state budget when it comes up for its first reading on November 3rd. In another new twist, the opposition Labor party is expected to vote for the budget in order to allow Sharon to implement the withdrawal.However, Labor is expected to demand major welfare changes before the second and third readings.
At Sunday’s weekly session, the cabinet approved the bill on evacuation and compensation for the settlers. The vote was 13-6. Again, 4 Likud cabinet ministers who oppose the pullout voted against the bill; Katz, Naveh, Landau and Hanegbi. Orlev of the NRP and independent Natan Scharansky also turned thumb down. Sharon is reportedly threatening to fire any Likud cabinet ministers who vote against the withdrawal in Tuesday’s Knesset vote.Update – the Knesset should approve Sharon’s disengagement on Tuesday. However, the Prime Minister’s own Likud MKs are split nearly down the middle and Sharon has no majority in his coalition government. In order to implement the withdrawal, Sharon depends on the left wing Labor and Yachad parties.
Second, after Tuesday’s vote for the withdrawal, it will be a new ball game for Israel. The ruling Likud party is split with Sharon’s opponents still pressing for a national referendum on the withdrawal. It will be impossible for Sharon to continue indefinitely in such circumstances – Sharon’s options: to give in and accept a referendum or to initiate a general election. The third option of bringing Labor and Shas into the coalition has been blocked by the Likud Central committee.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Bibi Netanyahu has reportedly threatened to vote against the withdrawal, if Sharon does not agree to a referendum. This was conditional on the National Religious Party agreeing to accept the results and remaining in the current coalition.
