Sharon survives no confidence vote over Gaza
Sharon passed his first parliamentary test since his cabinet on June 6 approved his plan in principle to evacuate Jewish settlers from Gaza, a decision that triggered far-right defections that stripped his ruling coalition of its majority.
In a sign that Sharon wants to couple a Gaza withdrawal with a tighter grip on West Bank settlement blocs, Israel began issuing orders to confiscate large tracts of Palestinian land for a controversial new segment of a giant barrier it is building.
