Can he avoid Knesset vote?
Photo: Yisrael Hadari
Netanyahu risks getting sacked
Reports say Netanyahu plans to be absent from Knesset vote on pullout’s postponement; sources close to Sharon say ‘Law states a minister must back government’s decisions’
A collective attempt by right-wing parties and the Likud “rebels” to postpone the disengagement from Gaza and parts of the West Bank is leading to yet another confrontation between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The saga began with a number of proposals drafted by right-wing factions that call for the postponement of the disengagement by up to six months.
The Ministerial Committee on Legislation decided the government would oppose the proposals, but following an appeal by Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz it was determined the matter will be voted on during a cabinet meeting scheduled for Sunday.
Netanyahu, who has repeatedly attacked the disengagement plan during recent weeks and has called for the reassessment of the entire move, announced he would vote against the government, or for the postponement of the pullout.
The big question remains how he will act during the preliminary Knesset vote on the issue, which is scheduled for Wednesday.
As of now, Netanyahu, who has refuted rumors regarding his plans to resign, is expected to be absent from the vote. In this way he would avoid having to publicly declare his support for the disengagement and at the same time not offer Sharon a reason to fire him.
However, sources in the Prime Minister’s Office are indicating that Netanyahu’s position is shaky, even though they are refraining from threatening him directly.
“There is a law that states a minister must support the government’s decision,” one of the sources told Ynet Friday.
“It is inconceivable to us that Netanyahu would act differently.”
'Vote strictly a conscientious one'
As to the possibility that Netanyahu would be abroad during the vote, the source said, “If a minister does not attend a vote for reasons that are not dependent on him, that is another matter. But in this case there is a minister who had announced his intention to violate the collective responsibility in advance, at a time when he must respect the fact that he is part of the government, and not act a an independent factor.”
“It is for this exact reason that he has voted in favor of the disengagement in the past,” he said.
Sources close to Netanyahu said Sharon pulled a similar stunt when he was infrastructure minister and Netanyahu was prime minister in January 1997.
“At the time Sharon voted against Netanyahu during a cabinet vote and did not attend the Knesset vote, but still remained a member of Netanyahu’s government until its last day,” a source said.
The sources said they do not foresee the existence of a double standard in this case.
“The vote is strictly a conscientious one,” a source said. “Netanyahu will not surrender to threats made by Sharon’s cronies.”
The left is also slamming Netanyahu for his plan to vote for the pullout’s postponement.
“Netanyahu is a serial peace-coward,” Knesset Member Avshalom Vilan (Yahad) said. “He cynically deludes the public with his ‘yes’ and ‘no’ games. If he intends to sabotage the process (pullout), he should resign from government and wage the battle of the minority.”
