There was a sharp response from many quarters to the
announcement that the Likud signed coalition deals with both
Shinui and the National Religious Party (NRP) giving Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon the minimum 61 MKs needed to form a
governing coalition.
Chareidim were critical of the Likud for abandoning them
after their loyal support for over 25 years since the time of
Menachem Begin. They were also outraged at the NRP for
joining together with Shinui, whose divisive venom is spread
so generously by its leader.
The Knesset Religious Lobby headed by former MK Rabbi Shmuel
Halpert, decided on Monday to expel the Mafdal from its ranks
after the party made agreements with Shinui to alter the
longstanding status quo.
Since it was set up several years ago, the Knesset Religious
Lobby has included every religious MK from every party
without exception, until Monday's decision to oust the Mafdal
MKs. During the Lobby meeting, extremely harsh remarks were
made against the Mafdal and its decision to join a secular
coalition with Shinui, as well as denunciations of the Likud
and Prime Minister Sharon, who opted to set up a secular
government aimed at destroying the status quo, including
agreements to strike out against the yeshiva world and all
religious services in the country, and to cut children's
allowances for large families.
Rabbi Halpert said, "In our darkest nightmares we did not
dream the Prime Minister would betray us in such a way." He
noted that since 5737 (1977) -- when the Likud rose to power
for the first time with the help of the chareidi parties --
there has been cooperation between the Likud and the chareidi
parties, which were loyal to the Likud. Sharon was
particularly cooperative with the chareidi parties two years
ago, after he received almost the entire chareidi vote in the
special prime ministerial elections.
"No one thought that the Mafdal, in exchange for monetary
gain and power, would agree to destroy the status quo which
has existed since the country was founded and has been the
basis for coexistence among all elements of the Jewish
population in Israel. The Mafdal's consent to opening the way
to civil marriage will lead to accelerated assimilation and a
split in the Jewish people," said Rabbi Halpert.
MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni reiterated that a directive was issued
by gedolei Yisroel not to enter the government
coalition under any circumstances if doing so required
concessions on the status quo. He said we must fight in the
opposition against the parties comprising the government and
against their destructive aims.
MK Rabbi Meir Porush suggested setting up a team to ascertain
all of the potential damages and consequences that could come
about through a secular government coalition.
MK Rabbi Litzman suggested that chareidi MKs attend every
single plenum session and form a voting block to oppose every
single proposal raised by the Likud.
MK Yair Peretz (Shas) suggested forging ties with other
opposition parties to battle together on social issues. MK
Eli Yishai, Shas Chairman and outgoing Interior Minister,
said the Prime Minister's decision to set up a coalition
without Shas was "based on communal and elitist
[considerations], which set us back 50 years. What Barak
spoke of during his term and did not dare carry out, Sharon
is now doing. What will happen on the social issue is a
catastrophe. The government is expected to cut without
impediment, and there is going to be hunger in Israel."
Yishai lashed out against the Mafdal, saying, "They removed
themselves from the camp. They decided to bring in Tommy
Lapid as Justice Minister and Avraham Poraz as Interior
Minister. This is simply ruin and destruction to Judaism in
exchange for a Volvo [i.e. a ministerial seat]."
Shas leader Rav Ovadia Yosef also spoke out sharply. "Sharon
betrayed the chareidim . . . He is ungrateful and forgot who
brought him to power. . . . The NRP is worse than haters of
religion. They gave a hechsher to the haters of
religion, Shinui, to enter the government," he said.
At a Mafdal meeting in the Knesset on Monday, the party
dismissed criticism lodged by Shas and United Torah Jewry.
Incumbent minister Zevulun Orlev said, "Mafdal did its
historic task and restored its control in relations between
religion and the State, and relations between religious and
secular [Israelis]." Orlev claims the Mafdal managed to
convince Shinui to accept the status quo on issues of state
and religion, thereby making a contribution to the country's
Jewish identity.
Talks continued with the seven-member National Union faction
in an effort to widen the coalition. The faction was expected
to be offered the Transportation and Immigrant Absorption
portfolios. If Histadrut chief Amir Peretz's Am Echad Party
also joins the coalition, it will reach 71 MKs.
Shinui received the Justice, Interior, National
Infrastructure, Environment, and Science portfolios. The
portfolios are expected to be given to the top five Shinui
MKs: Yosef (Tommy) Lapid, Avraham Poraz, Yehudit Naot, Yossi
Paritzky, and Eliezer Sandberg.
Shinui requested the Finance Ministry, but the Likud insisted
on keeping the three top portfolios. The Likud broke its
commitment to maintain control over the Interior and Justice
portfolios. Sharon had promised that the Likud would keep the
former in a meeting with the party's mayors, to help them in
the upcoming municipal elections.
NRP leader Effi Eitam will likely be appointed Construction
and Housing minister, with MK Zevulun Orlev appointed Social
Affairs minister. The party will also receive a deputy
minister in the Prime Minister's Office who will be in charge
of implementing the agreed-upon dismantling of the Religious
Affairs Ministry.
The NRP said that a letter had been appended to the agreement
stating that they are opposed to the creation of a
Palestinian state and that any such move must be brought
before the cabinet for ratification. The road map will not be
included in the new government's guidelines, but Sharon will
mention the plan in his Knesset speech.
The NRP said it received assurances that religious education
would remain independent and budget cuts for national service
for religious women would be repealed. The coalition
guidelines also include an agreement reached between the NRP
and Shinui for the Tal Law that grants IDF service deferments
to yeshiva students to be canceled and replaced by a new
arrangement. The new arrangement was not specified. The Large
Families Law, under which state support for families
increases from the fifth child, will be replaced by an equal
allotment for each child.
The Religious Affairs Ministry will be closed, as will
religious councils. They agreed to search for a "civil
solution" for couples who cannot be married by the Chief
Rabbinate.
Labor Party chairman Amram Mitzna accused Sharon, Shinui, and
the National Religious Party of conspiring to keep Labor out
of the government. But Mitzna's colleagues in the Labor
faction blamed Mitzna. There were reports of serious rifts
within the Labor Party. Shimon Peres was openly in favor of
joining the government. "I have been in many fighting
oppositions," he said, "but it is better to have real
influence."
Likud officials also criticized the arrangement, saying that
in forming his government, Sharon made several mistakes
including choosing the secularist Shinui over the Likud's
traditional partners in religious parties, giving away
portfolios disproportionately, and offering Shinui the
influential Interior Ministry ahead of municipal
elections.
The officials warned Sharon against making another mistake by
replacing Finance Minister Silvan Shalom, who has a large
camp in the Likud central committee, with former Jerusalem
Mayor Ehud Olmert. A group of Likud mayors and deputy mayors
also announced plans to protest at a Likud faction meeting at
the Prime Minister's Office. The mayors said that municipal
races would be difficult because chareidi voters are angry
with the Likud.
One Likud official noted that in the previous government, the
Likud had 10 ministers with only 19 MKs. In the new
government, he said, the party will also have no more than
10.
UTJ MKs were especially upset at the behavior of MK Ehud
Olmert -- twice elected mayor of Jerusalem with the help of
chareidi votes -- who worked towards the coalition with an
anti-religious party, which is tantamount to ostracizing the
chareidi sector and its elected representatives.
