Sharon treads softly with new Gaza withdrawal plan

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will ask his Cabinet to vote only on the first stage of his Gaza new withdrawal plan – the evacuation of three small settlements – in hopes of securing the support of undecided ministers, officials said today.

Sharon apparently backed away from submitting the entire plan for approval because he has had trouble securing a majority in his 23-member Cabinet. Earlier this month, Sharon’s Likud Party rejected a Gaza withdrawal, leaving the prime minister politically weakened.