Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government is under threat tonight after his disengagement plan passed the Knesset. Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu, along with three other ministers, Minister of Education Limor Livnat, Minister of health Danny Naveh, and Minister of Agriculture Yisrael Katz, has threatened to resign from the government unless Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agrees within fourteen days to hold a referendum on the plan to withdraw from the Gaza strip and northern Samaria.
The Knesset voted by 67 to 45 in favor of the disengagement plan. There were seven abstentions. The majority for the plan, which was larger than earlier assessments had predicted, represents a victory for the prime minister, but it could prove a Pyrrhic victory in the light of the threat from Netanyahu and his colleagues.
The ultimatum on a referendum was originally presented by the National Religious Party before tonight's Knesset vote. The party said it would leave the coalition unless a decision on a referendum was made within fourteen days. At that point, it appeared as though the Likud rebel ministers would join the ultimatum or absent themselves from the vote. In fact the only members of the government who voted against Sharon's plan were Uzi Landau and Michael Razon. They have been sent letters of dismissal. Netanyahu, Livnat, Naveh, and Katz eventually voted in favor of the plan on the second reading, after being absent for the vote on the first reading.
Netanyahu's test will come in seven days time when the Knesset votes on the first reading of the 2005 budget. It is not clear at present whether Sharon will give his full backing to Netanyahu's budget. Also at stake are the Bachar committee recommendations fro reform of the banking system and the capital market, due to be presented for government approval on November 14.If Netanyahu does resign before this date, the cabinet discussion is likely to be postponed indefinitely.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on October 26, 2004