(Jpost).A day after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu succeeded in passing his Israel Lands Administration reform plan, Vice Premier Moshe Ya'alon warned Tuesday that if it were not amended, he would quit the cabinet and public life.
To pass the plan, Netanyahu worked out a compromise that included forming a committee headed by Ya'alon to examine adjusting the reform. Ya'alon said the majority of members on the committee agreed with him that state land should be leased long-term rather than sold, as called for in the bill that passed Monday.
"I came to politics to have influence, and if I realize that I cannot implement my principles, I would have to reconsider my future," Ya'alon told Israel Radio.
"I don't care about my cabinet seat or the perks of power. I see myself as a public servant."
Ya'alon accused Netanyahu's aides of harming his image by portraying him as a political traitor and then a sell-out, even though he believes he remained loyal to his principles. He said there were "screw-ups" in the Prime Minister's Office.
To pass the plan, Netanyahu worked out a compromise that included forming a committee headed by Ya'alon to examine adjusting the reform. Ya'alon said the majority of members on the committee agreed with him that state land should be leased long-term rather than sold, as called for in the bill that passed Monday.
"I came to politics to have influence, and if I realize that I cannot implement my principles, I would have to reconsider my future," Ya'alon told Israel Radio.
"I don't care about my cabinet seat or the perks of power. I see myself as a public servant."
Ya'alon accused Netanyahu's aides of harming his image by portraying him as a political traitor and then a sell-out, even though he believes he remained loyal to his principles. He said there were "screw-ups" in the Prime Minister's Office.