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.

Even Sharon’s own proposal, to allow him to negotiate with all the Zionist parties, was narrowly voted down.

The votes could stall or even scuttle the Gaza withdrawal, though Sharon has insisted he intends to carry it out.

The Cabinet must vote on each stage that involves evacuation of settlements, and Sharon would find it hard to muster a majority without Labour, because of the opposition in his own party.

Even before the vote, Sharon aides said it would not be legally binding on the prime minister.

Speaking at the convention, Sharon was defiant in the face of loud heckling. “Likud will not disqualify or boycott anyone. Likud will conduct negotiations with all Zionist parties for expanding the coalition,” he said, as opponents chanted: “Likud yes, Labour no.”

However, opponents said he would not be able to approach Labour now. “Sharon cannot ignore the wishes of his party,” said Likud lawmaker Michael Ratzon.

The Labour Party was quick to react, saying Likud had become a party that rejects peace, “a movement that destroys all chances to bring about an end to violence in the region.” The Labour statement said “elections must be called immediately.”

General elections are due anyway in 2005, and a new coalition would be a short-term affair. Likud-Labour coalition negotiations stalled earlier over domestic issues.

Labour strongly favours Sharon’s “unilateral disengagement” plan. Labour has long advocated an Israeli pullout from Gaza and most of the West Bank for peace with the Palestinians.

On May 2, about 60% of Likud Party members voting in a non-bonding referendum turned down Sharon’s ”unilateral disengagement” plan – removing all 21 settlements from Gaza and four of the 150 from the West Bank.

Ignoring that vote, Sharon fired a pro-settlement party from his coalition and saw another resign in order to ram the plan through his Cabinet, losing his parliamentary majority in the process.

Then Sharon had to search for new coalition partners. The most obvious candidate was Labour, because of its traditional stand in favour of withdrawals in the West Bank and Gaza.

That angered the same Likud hawks who opposed the Gaza plan, and they forced yesterday’s votes.