Gaza Plan Hinges On Labour Coalition Vote

[Talon]

LIKUD COALITION VOTE

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has sought to salvage his Gaza disengagement plan by bringing in the Labour Party to his coalition.

Likud's central committee is set to vote on a motion allowing Labour entry to the troubled coalition.

Mr Sharon needs Labour's support to push through the plan to evacuate all 21 settlements in Gaza and four from the West Bank.

He lost his majority in the 120-seat Knesset last June when traditional right-wing parties withdrew their support.

Failure to secure Labour's support could result in Mr Sharon having to call early elections.

Labour supports the disengagement plan - but believes it does not go far enough. It wants most of the West Bank settlements withdrawn.

The two parties are also squabbling over economic issues.

Meanwhile Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat has admitted mistakes in a keynote speech to politicians.

It was his first speech since troubles began in Gaza last month which threatened his authority. Militants protested against alleged corruption in the authority's higher ranks.

"There is nobody immune from mistakes, starting from me on down," Mr Arafat said from his West Bank compound.

"Even prophets committed mistakes."

He added: "There were wrong actions...by some institutions, and some were irresponsible and misused their positions.

"We need to move together to correct and reform all the mistakes."

He made no specific promises.

Mr Arafat has not been targeted personally by the protesters or accused of corruption himself.

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[Erikl]

Although I do not support the annexation of the Gaza strip (because as opposed to Judea and Samaria, aka "West Bank" of the Jordan, which is the cradle of my people, I don't see Gaza as an important land), I think a uniliteral redrawal from Gaza strip at this time is one the greatest mistakes my country is going to make (the worst was to bring Yasser Arafat and his terrorist gang back from Tunis into the disputed territories back in 1993).

A uniliteral redrawal, with no agreement with the other side, is going to show the Palestinians that terrorism works, and thus will only make terrorist organizations stronger.

They will see it as: "Oh, if we managed to get those dirty Jews out of Gaza, we could get them from all of Palestine" (and will probably add their theme song: "In blood, in fire, we shall free you oh Jerusalem!", backed with firing with M16s to the sky).

I think we should first crush the terrorist groups, or at least one of them (Hamas for example), so it will make an example for the other terrorist groups to see what happens if they'll mess with us after we will get out. Only then we should pull out of Gaza, with or without agreement.

As for the Palestinians violent protests - although it sadens me that they have to use violence in order for their regime to pay attention for their needs, it is also expected, as under Arafat's qausi-Fascist regime no other way is possible.

I hope they'll throw the corrupted and evil PLO/PA (Palestinian Authority) back to Tunis, and build a non-terrorist regime that will want peace.

As for Arafat's corruption - he his one of the most corrupted people in the world! he has millions (if not billions) of dollars and euros in his swiss banks accounts, taking it all from European, Israeli and American assistance that was meant to be given to the starving Palestinian population.

It is well known that he also used European money, given to him during the current conflict, to finance his terror campaign against Israel and enlarge his own banks accounts, thus making the European tax payers unaware that they were funding Palestinian terrorism against Israeli citizens !