Major setback for Sharon over Gaza pull-out

In a stinging rebuke and a body blow to his Gaza pull-out plan, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s party voted yesterday to block him from bringing the dovish Labour Party into his government, party officials said.

The vote at a Likud Party convention was about 60% in favour of banning Labour. However, Sharon told the gathering before the vote that he would not accept any such boycotts – a clear signal that he would ignore the results.