Israel cabinet approves Gaza pullout
Israel’s cabinet today approved a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in principle, but put off a vote on the dismantling of Israeli settlements.
Ministers voted 14-7 in favour.
A last-minute compromise with Cabinet hardliners diluted a historic decision and shrouded the fate of 21 Israeli settlements in Gaza in uncertainty.
The wording of the decision was vague enough to allow both Sharon and rebellious ministers from his Likud Party to claim victory.
It deferred a political crisis, but did not resolve the deep divisions within Sharon’s centre-right coalition over the dismantling of settlements.
In today’s Cabinet meeting, ministers were asked to approve a revised version of Sharon’s US-backed ”disengagement plan,” which calls for the gradual dismantling of all Gaza settlements and four in the West Bank by the end of 2005.
A majority of Israelis back a withdrawal.
The plan authorises the government to begin preparations for the dismantling of settlements.
However, Likud hardliners attached a disclaimer, insisting that the vote did not amount to approval for taking down settlements.
A vote on the dismantling of settlements would only be held by March – giving settler patrons in the government time to try to sabotage a Gaza withdrawal.
Sharon, an erstwhile champion of settlement expansion, has staked his credibility on the withdrawal plan, saying it will reduce friction with the Palestinians and allow Israel to keep large settlement blocs in the West Bank.
Sharon has forged ahead with the plan despite fierce opposition from many Likud politicians and two pro-settler coalition partners, the National Union and the National Religious Party.
Sharon fired the National Union on Friday, removing the party’s two ministers from the Cabinet, to secure a one-vote majority for the Gaza plan.
The National Religious Party was divided over whether to quit the coalition as well. If it does, Sharon would lose his majority in Israel’s 120-member parliament, a further blow to the once popular leader.
The first test will come tomorrow when parliament votes on several motions of no confidence.
Opposition to the withdrawal plan in Likud was led by three senior politicians - Benjamin Netanyahu, Silvan Shalom and Limor Livnat.
Over the weekend, Sharon’s aides held marathon negotiating sessions to bring the three on board, even though Sharon had already secured a majority with the dismissal of the National Union ministers.
Sharon courted the three to avoid triggering an immediate rebellion in Likud, whose rank-and-file had rejected the withdrawal plan in a referendum last month.
A compromise statement endorsed by the ministers said that ”the Cabinet approved the revised disengagement plan, but this does not mean that it decided to evacuate settlements”.
