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Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday announced his resignation from the government. (Archive) Last update - 05:06 08/08/2005 Netanyahu quits government over disengagement By Yossi Verter, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service In a dramatic step following the cabinet ratification of the first phase of the disengagement plan, Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his resignation from the government Sunday, citing his opposition to the pullout. "We have reached the moment of truth today," Netanyahu wrote in a letter he placed on the cabinet table before abruptly leaving the ministers' weekly session. "There is a way to achieve peace and security, but a unilateral withdrawal under fire and with nothing in return is certainly not the way." The Sunday government decision states that, upon assessment of the situation, there is no reason to change the decision about the evacuation of settlements the cabinet approved in February. Advertisement Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told the cabinet that the disengagement would be implemented on time, and that he was "not concerned over those who vote against." Netanyahu has often criticized the disengagement, but had resisted right-wing calls that he resign from the government to force a crisis over the issue. Speaking at a press conference Sunday evening, Netanyahu said he was conflicted over his decision to resign, hoping to continue what he called "historic" economic reforms but feeling he could no longer lend his support to next week's Gaza pullout. He told reporters that the Gaza pullout is endangering Israel by creating a "base for Islamic terror" in Gaza. He said such warnings by security officials were being ignored by the government. He said the pullout not only endangers Israel, but is also splitting the country and threatens the unity of Jerusalem. Netanyahu acknowledged that his resignation was unlikely to halt the withdrawal. He complained that the government was acting with "complete blindness." "I cannot stop this [the pullout], but I can be at peace with myself. I can say that I cannot be a party to this," said Netanyahu, who served as finance minister for the past two-and-a-half years. "This isn't the government that I joined. The disengagement contradicts the Likud's principles and the mandate we were given. The government is acting blindly against all of the warnings," he said. Bolstered by the votes of the Labor Party, the cabinet gave the green light to evacuation of the first group of settlements in the Gaza Strip, in line with a prior decision requiring formal ratification of each phase of the disengagement plan. The vote was 17-5, with Likud cabinet ministers Limor Livnat, Danny Naveh, Yisrael Katz, Tzachi Hanegbi joining Netanyahu in opposition. "I am not prepared to be a partner to a move which ignores reality, and proceeds blindly toward turning [the Gaza Strip] into a base for Islamic terrorism which will threaten the state," Netanyahu wrote in the letter whose text was obtained by Israel Radio. Netanyahu called the disengagement "an irresponsible step which will endanger Israel's security, split the people, institute the principle of return to the 1967 borders, and in the future, endanger Jerusalem as well." Isolated settlements first to be evacuated The settlements in the first phase are the isolated enclaves of Netzarim, Kfar Darom and Morag. Next week, just before the beginning of implementation of the disengagement, the government is expected to approve evacuation of the Gush Katif region, with ratification of the northern Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank enclaves to follow. Earlier on Sunday, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz slammed Netanyahu for the finance minister's expected 'No' vote against the evacuation. Scoring Netanyahu for "zig-zagging" on the issue, Mofaz said "You cannot dither in the wind every morning anew and say 'My opinion's changed and now it's different.' Bookmark to del.icio.us   Kitler Cat Germany's Green Party uses a cat resembling Hitler to criticize extreme rightists. Sorrymania Israel is reportedly planning to apologize to ex-Beatles for banning a concert in 1965.   1.   Kol Hakavod 16:23  |  Shimon 07/08/05   2.   Good bye and good riddance 16:24  |  Beatrice 07/08/05   3.   Netanyahu is a man committed to continued conflict 16:27  |  El-Birawi 07/08/05   4.   perhaps now we will get a proper oppostion in to the open 16:28  |  paul harris 07/08/05   5.   yes and 16:51  |  SJ 07/08/05   6.   Money not a factor for Bibi unlike Sharon 16:52  |  Yoel 07/08/05   7.   Bibi shows his true colors 17:05  |  Damram 07/08/05   8.   The Moment of Truth 17:08  |  Henry Diab 07/08/05   9.   Good Riddance! 17:18  |  Benja 07/08/05   10.   Told you so! 17:19  |  Suzanne 07/08/05   11.   Good riddance to bad rubbish 17:21  |  Yonatan 07/08/05   12.   Too late? 17:23  |  Vitaly Vovnoboy 07/08/05   13.   netanyahu resigns 17:24  |  gigi 07/08/05   14.   That`s the politics. 17:35  |  Guopeng Jiang 07/08/05   15.   netanyau resignation 17:35  |  dario 07/08/05   16.   Resignation Netanyahu 17:36  |  Rena Cats 07/08/05   17.   resignation of bibi 17:42  |  yehuda 07/08/05   18.   Labor 17:44  |  Michael 07/08/05   19.   #13 I preferred Leslie Caron 17:46  |  Yonatan 07/08/05   20.   Bibi`s better than Labor 17:47  |  Michael 07/08/05   21.   the best finace minister yet 17:54  |  yankel 07/08/05   22.   Bibi is a joke 17:54  |  I want to puke 07/08/05   23.   WELL DONE! WELL DONE BIBIB! 17:57  |  Claude 07/08/05   24.   Haaretz you guys must Dislike BIBI so much 17:58  |  Yoel 07/08/05   25.   Bibi`s "show" to regroup for the next round of evacuations 17:59  |  Jake 07/08/05   26.   paul #4 18:00  |  richard 07/08/05   27.   At Last a True Leader 18:01  |  Yisrael 07/08/05   28.   How short sighted! 18:05  |  Daniel 07/08/05   29.   Netanyahu Announces his Resignation from Gov`t 18:06  |  Yossi 07/08/05   30.   #19 Yonotan : Bibi is a man with a conscience 18:06  |  Yoel 07/08/05   31.   11 Yoni what about Yossi Beilin or Amir Peretz 18:09  |  Yoel 07/08/05   32.   Yonatan #11, agreed 18:10  |  Jake 07/08/05   33.   No withdrawal under fire 18:13  |  Stevie 07/08/05   34.   #27 Cult of Personality 18:15  |  Yonatan 07/08/05   35.   Good -bye and don`t come back 18:15  |  Sapir 07/08/05   36.   Shimon kol hakavod, for what!!!! 18:19  |  Moshe 07/08/05   37.   Go to Hell with your resignation, 18:20  |  Who Care!!!!! 07/08/05   38.   A good day for Israel 18:21  |  Droogie 07/08/05   39.   The current state of Israel 18:31  |  Noam 07/08/05   40.   Bibi`s resignation 18:32  |  Mel McManus 07/08/05   41.   Netanyahu`s resignation 18:34  |  Avi Goldstein 07/08/05   42.   At risk to his career, Bibi does what is right for Israel 18:36  |  Willing to trade land for peace 07/08/05   43.   #28 Daniel 18:36  |  Michael 07/08/05   44.   Netanyahu`s resignation 18:38  |  Avi Goldstein 07/08/05   45.   #39 18:45  |  Michael 07/08/05   46.   natanyahu 18:46  |  richard 07/08/05   47.   Let`s hope for a domino effect to stop Sharon`s stupid plan? 18:47  |  PJ 07/08/05   48.   Why didn`t he do this earlier? 18:57  |  stan 07/08/05   49.   Gaza First 18:59  |  Gaza First 07/08/05   50.   Netanyaho resigns - Duh? 19:01  |  Barry Berger 07/08/05   51.   Orange is nice 19:06  |  Kike 07/08/05   52.   Netanyahu 19:24  |  Alan 07/08/05   53.   #19 yonatan 19:30  |  gigi 07/08/05   54.   Nothing 19:33  |  Eric WIlson 07/08/05   55.   emet "truth" 19:36  |  mitch 07/08/05   56.   Will Bibi move to Gush Katif??? 19:38  |  Suzanne 07/08/05   57.   Shoemaker to your shoes 19:51  |  Moshe Gornstein 07/08/05   58.   Good riddance to Netanyahu 19:54  |  Len Hill 07/08/05   59.   Bibi taking a stand 20:02  |  Richard 07/08/05   60.   Yet this time everything Israel is doing is different, therefore the result will be different 20:03  |  Bob 07/08/05   61.   Bibi is slick but people are not stupid 20:22  |  Eddie 07/08/05   62.   Byebye Bibi Byebye 20:35  |  Martin 07/08/05   63.   No need for cry baby like Bibi 20:35  |  Atlanta 07/08/05   64.   Brilliant move 20:38  |  Norm.. 07/08/05   65.   bibi 20:38  |  michael 07/08/05   66.   No More Unnecessary Deaths! 20:39  |  Joseph 07/08/05   67.   Morally right, politically incorrect 20:44  |  Orange in my heart- blue environment 07/08/05   68.   BIBI 20:49  |  J 07/08/05   69.   #67 20:55  |  Eddie 07/08/05   70.   J 20:58  |  Eddie 07/08/05   71.   # Bibi has a conscience like I have smicha 21:07  |  Yonatan 07/08/05   72.   Politics at its lowest 21:09  |  Joseph Fox 07/08/05   73.   Politics at its lowest 21:10  |  Joseph Fox 07/08/05   74.   #31 Yoel - Yossi Beilin and Amir Peretz 21:14  |  Yonatan 07/08/05   75.   are you blind??? 21:17  |  dvira 07/08/05   76.   Nice Start 21:22  |  Joe Koll 07/08/05   77.   # 69 21:23  |  Orange in my heart- blue environment 07/08/05   78.   BIBI you are late Again, YOU ARE A PART OF SHARRON`S SUCCESS SO U ARE AS GUILTY FOR CLEANSING GAZA OF HER JEWS 21:24  |  Robin 07/08/05   79.   #53 Gigi 21:30  |  Yonatan 07/08/05   80.   #71 Israeli politics... 21:37  |  Yoel 07/08/05   81.   #66 Ready to fight from San Fransisco???? 21:40  |  Yoel 07/08/05   82.   "Never too late" 21:40  |  David 07/08/05   83.   Good ridance, sof sof 21:44  |  Danny 07/08/05   84.   too late bibi 21:45  |  e.m 07/08/05   85.   #66 Joseph 21:57  |  Michael 07/08/05   86.   solution for BB to endorse 22:01  |  Daniel 07/08/05   87.   Orange slippers 22:04  |  Cornelia 07/08/05   88.   #69 22:06  |  Michael 07/08/05   89.   # 81 22:19  |  Joseph 07/08/05   90.   I pray he is wrong, but know that he is right 22:25  |  Teddy 07/08/05   91.   #85 22:37  |  Joseph 07/08/05   92.   Kol HAKOVOD BIBI 22:39  |  ben 07/08/05   93.   SHARON FOR HEAD OD MERETZ 22:44  |  george 07/08/05   94.   It`s about time! 22:55  |  Ari 07/08/05   95.   El-Birawi 22:57  |  Michelle 07/08/05   96.   #91 23:34  |  Michael 07/08/05   97.   A smart decision 23:48  |  Steve Sweig 07/08/05   98.   joseph san franscico 00:09  |  e.m 08/08/05   99.   Those who are late are punished by life 00:11  |  Doctor Orange 08/08/05   100.   He has a point. I think its too bad. 00:32  |  Adina 08/08/05   101.   Sharon`s truimph 00:37  |  JOHANES Franzen 08/08/05   102.   Disengage from Sharon`s Madness 00:37  |  Moshe 08/08/05   103.   Future of Israel 00:54  |  Noah 08/08/05   104.   Standing on the Truth 00:56  |  Moira 08/08/05   105.   Israel belongs to Israel 01:05  |  Moira 08/08/05   106.   Baby Snake 01:18  |  Bruno Marioni 08/08/05   107.   #79 yonatan 01:21  |  gigi 08/08/05   108.   bibi 01:23  |  simon 08/08/05   109.   george 01:31  |  rafik 08/08/05   110.   netanyahu quits 01:31  |  bey 08/08/05   111.   Is Sharon ill ? 01:35  |  Akram Zekaria 08/08/05   112.   netanyahu resignation 01:50  |  Morris 08/08/05   113.   Why didn`t he resign two years ago? 03:42  |  Michael Pastik 08/08/05   114.   That`s the politics 03:56  |  Mark Lincoln 08/08/05   115.   H. L. Mencken 03:59  |  Mark Lincoln 08/08/05   116.   Netanyahu accepts pullout if security demands met 04:00  |  Doctor Orange 08/08/05   117.   BIBI IS A PUSSY 04:52  |  STAN 08/08/05   118.   And never come back 04:53  |  Jonathan 08/08/05   119.   Annual NII report set to be published: 1.5m Israelis below poverty line (Haaretz) 04:58  |  Doctor Orange 08/08/05   120.   Well done 04:58  |  Martin 08/08/05   121.   G-d Bye Netan. GO to History...! 05:19  |  Nick 08/08/05   122.   resignation 04:01  |  trudy adair kaplan 09/08/05

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