Sees terror ruling: Finance minister Netanyahu will vote against pullout's first stage
Photo: Dan Balilti
Netanyahu to vote against pullout
Finance Minister expected to vote against approving first stage of plan created to secure his support for disengagement
Finance minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to vote against the vote on the first stage of the disengagement plan, according to sources from his office.
Internal Resistance
By Diana Bachur-Nir and Ilan Marciano
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’
In accordance with a compromise which would see the disengagement plan approved in four stages, agreed upon in order to secure the support of government ministers Netanyahu, Shalom, and Livnat, the government will approve the first stage of the pullout in the next two weeks.
“As things stand now, it is fair to assume that Netanyahu will vote against the plan in the first vote, since he sees terror raging in Gaza, Kassam rockets hovering overhead, and the Palestinian Authority failing to take control,” said a source close to Netanyahu.
Silvan Shalom and Limor Livnat are expected to vote in favor of the vote, in line with previous Knesset votes on the pullout. Sources closes to Livnat said she would vote according to the situation on the ground, and estimations by security sources.
Four stages or one?
The prime minister’s office has not yet taken a decision on the amount of time which will pass from one pullout stage to the next, in accordance with the four stage plan.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that the prime minister said he was interested in completing the pullout within two to three weeks, making it likely that votes on the next stage of the plan would be separated by a number of days at most.
A Likud source told Ynet that “it’s possible to approve the four stages in one day, but the intention is to assess what is happening with the Palestinians when the pullout begins, to see whether the Hamas has taken over, and whether total chaos and anarchy will take hold of Gaza.”
Minister Matan Vilnai said that he will demand that the pullout takes place in move, rather than separate votes and stages, in order to avoid unnecessary risk to the lives of IDF soldiers, created by political calculations of Likud ministers who are seeking compromise through a ‘pullout by stages.’
His demand echoes similar calls by security sources, who say that the pullout should take place in a single step to avoid risking soldiers.
The latest statement from the prime minister’s office said that “the agreement with the ministers will take place as planned. There will be four stages of approval, but it has not yet been decided when the first stage will be approved, and what the time gap will be between the following votes.”
