Sharon faces moment of truth

2004-06-06 12:29

Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's cabinet was set to endorse his plan to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip in a vote on Sunday, after he fired two far-right ministers in a bid to ensure a majority.

The cabinet meeting began at 08:00 but discussion and the subsequent vote on the so-called disengagement plan was not expected to be held until after 13:00 to allow the dismissals of transport minister Avigdor Lieberman and tourism minister Benny Elon to take effect.

Sharon decided to axe the two members of the extreme right-wing National Union, a junior partner in the governing coalition, on Friday but, under Israeli law, the dismissals only come into effect after 48 hours.

Deputy education minister Zvi Hendel also quit on Sunday in protest at the treatment of his two party colleagues.

The National Union and another coalition partner, the National Religious Party, have been implacably opposed to the pullout plan which will see Israel evacuate all 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza as well as four in the northern West Bank by the end of next year.

While Sharon is now thought to have stacked the numbers in his favour, he could win the vote in cabinet but still end up fracturing his government and party.

Members of his right-wing Likud voted in a ballot five weeks ago to reject the plan and some Likud ministers are furious that the premier is pushing on with the basic tenets of his project even if he has proposed that it be carried out in phases which are subject at each point to cabinet approval.

His campaign has been bolstered by US President George W Bush who has characterised the disengagement plan as a "bold initiative" which could kickstart the peace process.

Bush's endorsement infuriated the Palestinians as it was accompanied by declarations that it was "unrealistic" to expect Israel to quit larger West Bank settlement blocs and that Palestinian refugees should not expect to return to homes lost when Israel was created in 1948.

- AFP