NRP's Eitam, Levy give party two weeks to quit coalition

National Religious Party MKs Effi Eitam and Yitzhak Levy are threatening to divide their party if it does not quit Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's coalition government, Israel Radio reported Tuesday.

In a letter sent to the four other members of the Knesset faction, Eitam and Levy gave their colleagues two weeks to leave the coalition.

Eitam, a former minister, and Levy, a former deputy minister, quit the coalition earlier this year to protest the disengagement plan.

Last month, the NRP's central committee voted against leaving Sharon's coalition.

The central committee adopted a proposal put forth by Labor and Social Affairs Minister Zevulun Orlev, according to which the NRP will remain in the coalition at present, but will leave the government if no national referendum is held on the disengagement plan prior to a Knesset decision on evacuating settlements.

Both the anti-coalition and pro-coalition elements of the NRP oppose the disengagement plan, but the four faction members still in government prefer to object to the pullout plan from a position of power.

Sharon announced in a speech to the Knesset on Monday that the Knesset will vote on his disengagement plan on October 25. On Tuesday, Sharon ruled out the possibility of holding a national referendum on the issue, or going to early elections.

	Effi Eitam wants the NRP to quit Sharon's coalition government. (Archive)