Israeli rightist party postpones quitting cabinet

The Israeli National Religious Party (NRP) decided Monday to postpone its quitting from the government until the parliament ratifies a Gaza withdrawal, givingPrime Minister Ariel Sharon a breathing space to contain a revolt in the cabinet and keep his Gaza disengagement plan on track.

The central committee of the rightist party made the decision at a meeting in Tel Aviv by a vote of 497-260 for a proposal put forward by Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev, local newspaper Haaretzreported.

The decision, while still threatening to quit the ruling coalition if the parliament approves a withdrawal from Gaza or a bill to compensate settlers whom Sharon wants to evacuate, in effect rejected a hardline motion to leave the cabinet once it approved any compensation for settlers, a move expected this week.

The NRP also called on Sharon to hold a referendum on his Gaza plan, an idea supported by Sharon's main rival in his Likud Party,Financial Minister Binjamin Netanyahu.

Sources close to Sharon said the proposal is not an option.

Tens of thousands of settlers and their supporters rallied Sunday night in downtown Jerusalem against Sharon's disengagement plan, calling him a "dictator" and demanding the NRP quit from the coalition to bring down the government.

Sharon now controls 59 of the 120 seats in the parliament and will lose four more if the NRP quits.

Source: Xinhua