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Last update - 01:20 22/12/2008 Tekuma rabbis consider how best to partner Uri Ariel By Nadav Shragai The rabbis of the Tekuma party have yet to decide whether MK Uri Ariel of the newly formed Habayit Hayehudi party will join forces with MK Aryeh Eldad's Hatikva party in a new, more hawkish partisan alignment. The new Eretz Israel Shelanu party of Baruch Marzel and Rabbi Dov Wolpe is also expected to participate in the possible merger. Advertisement Ariel is the only candidate in Habayit Hayehudi's top six slots representing Tekuma, which takes a hard line against territorial concessions. The rabbis affiliated with Tekuma fear that in the event of territorial grants of the Golan Heights to Syria or parts of the West Bank to the Palestinians, the Habayit Heyehudi Knesset faction will not quit the government as they would like. Yesterday representatives of the rabbis spoke with Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yaakov Amidror, head of the party council that drew up the Knesset list, but the talks reportedly failed to bear fruit. Leading members of Tekuma are split about the possibility of leaving Habayit Hayehudi. MK Zvi Hendel and former MK Hanan Porat oppose such a move, but party secretary-general Nachi Eyal is in favor, and Ariel himself has given similar signals. On Saturday Danny Dayan, chairman of the Yesha Council of West Bank Settlements and Habayit Hayehudi's number-8 candidate, called on Ariel and MK Benny Elon to remain in his party and even offered Elon his own spot on the party roster. "The creation of Habayit Hayehudi was intended to unite all the smaller parties that made up the National Union-National Religious Party bloc. If Moledet or Tekuma were to leave, it would endanger that important process," Dayan said. "As such, the inclusion of Benny Elon on the list as the representative of Moledet is important in the effort to prevent a schism," he said. Referring to Ariel, he said "there is no reason to justify his resignation." In the meantime, Habayit Hayehudi chair Rabbi Professor Daniel Hershkovitz has made a number of hard-line statements on issues of land concessions in an apparent effort to keep Ariel on board. At a memorial service for the victims of a terror attack, he said, "The Land of Israel will always be for the people of Israel, without compromise or concessions." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Can war be avoided? Can Israel accept Hamas rule, and ease, rather than tighten its chokehold on Gaza? Latke eating champ Body builder eats 46 latkes in 8 minutes to win N.Y. Hanukkah contest and set a new record.

Read & React Bradley Burston: Can the First Gaza War be stopped before it starts? Responses: 184 Strikes on Negev drop as Hamas holds 24-hour truce Responses: 162 Damascus: Talks with Israel only after U.S., Israeli elections Responses: 35 B'Tselem: 58% of Ofra settlement built on Palestinian land Responses: 81 More Headlines 01:30 Olmert to Turkish PM: We must advance toward direct Israel-Syria talks 23:59 Mubarak extends rare invite to Livni for talks on Gaza violence 23:50 U.S. warns Russia against sale of advanced missiles to Iran 00:03 Fight against settlements not about boycotting Israel, says U.K. envoy 00:38 Strikes on Negev drop as Hamas holds 24-hour truce 00:44 Renowned author Amos Oz lays into Barak for 'letting settlers wreak havoc' 22:49 YouTube allows Web users to interview Israel's future prime minister 21:19 Can the First Gaza War be stopped before it starts? 20:20 Trial begins in Yemen over murder of local Jew 19:52 Israel's main TV channels bump political ads from primetime 17:40 Livni, on her home life: We're a completely normal family 15:23 Man eats 46 latkes in 8 minutes to win N.Y. Hanukkah contest 14:39 World Bank: New crossings for Palestinian goods may hurt exports 17:31 ANALYSIS / Israel must choose between bad and worse Gaza options 07:43 2008 marks record-breaking year for returning Israeli citizens Previous Editions Select Day 22 dec 21 dec 19 dec 18 dec 17 dec 16 dec 15 dec 14 dec 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec 09 dec

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