US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV4199

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 004199 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KWBG, IS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, GOI INTERNAL 
SUBJECT: GAZA DISENGAGEMENT: VOTE ON DOOMED DISENGAGEMENT 
POSTPONEMENT BILL -- POSTPONED FOR TWO WEEKS 
 
Classified By: By Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
1.  (C) Yisrael Maimon, Cabinet Secretary, told Poloff July 4 
that the Likud rebels decided late afternoon July 4 to 
postpone for two weeks a preliminary vote on a bill that 
would delay implementation of the disengagement plan by one 
year.  The bill's sponsor, right-wing National Religious 
Party MK Zevulun Orlev, stated on the radio July 6 that the 
vote is postponed so that he and other disengagement foes can 
work to garner a Knesset majority for the bill.  A strong 
Knesset majority opposes the bill, so it is unlikely the 
legislation will pass even after a two week period -- 
regardless of when the vote takes place or any statements by 
Orlev.  (Note: As of late afternoon July 5, the vote on this 
legislation remained on the Knesset agenda, but according to 
Eli Hazan, advisor to Coalition Whip Gideon Sa'ar, the item 
can be pulled at any time, including right before the July 6 
Knesset plenary begins.  End note.) 
 
2.  (C) The real issue raised by a vote on the disengagement 
postponement legislation, however, is not whether it will 
pass, but whether Prime Minister Sharon will fire Minister of 
Finance Binyamin Netanyahu for absenting himself from the 
vote instead of voting with the government against it -- 
Netanyahu has stated firmly that he intends to be absent from 
the vote.  Maimon and others have indicated that it is 
unlikely Sharon will fire Netanyahu, and that this is yet 
another show of rivalry between the two, based on ego and 
jockeying for advantage within the Likud Party in a prelude 
to party primaries and the next elections.  Maimon indicated 
that Sharon's main interest now is implementing the 
disengagement plan, and that perhaps Netanyahu's political 
machinations are not of paramount concern.  In the last major 
showdown with Sharon in November 2004, Netanyahu backed off 
his threat to quit the government if Sharon did not hold a 
national disengagement referendum. 
 
 
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