Gaza pullout vote may spark settler violence

The Israeli parliament easily passed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s contentious plan to pull out of Gaza and part of the West Bank, approving compensation of hundreds of thousands of shekels to families of settlers to be evacuated.

The 59 to 40 vote yesterday was the final parliamentary endorsement, but the pullout, marking the first time Israel would remove veteran settlements from the West Bank and Gaza, still has many obstacles to overcome.

These include strident, even violent opposition by settlers and their backers, as well as attempts by opponents to scuttle the plan by bringing down Sharon’s government.

As the parliament voted its approval, settlers and their backers were blocking main highway intersections with burning tires and scuffling with police for the second time this week. Police arrested 13.

The vote reflected a realignment in which dovish parties came out in favour of Sharon’s plan, while many of his traditional pro-settlement supporters voted against.

Vice Premier Shimon Peres of the dovish Labour Party called the vote “a clear decision for peace”, but the Settlers’ Council said it marked “a black day for democracy”.

As the Israeli government shored up support for the withdrawal, Palestinian officials approved a new cabinet expected to put allies of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in control of security forces and other key departments, officials said.

The cabinet, whose makeup was not announced, is to be presented to the Palestinian parliament next week for approval, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said.

Abbas, who was elected last month, has agreed to a cease-fire with Israel and promised to work to prevent attacks by militants. In response, Sharon says he will co-ordinate the pullout, originally planned as a unilateral withdrawal.

Palestinian militants in Gaza fired two mortar rounds at the Jewish settlement of Morag yesterday, causing no damage or injuries but threatening the fragile truce. There was no immediate Israeli retaliation.

Sharon says his “disengagement” plan will solidify Israel’s grip on large West Bank settlement blocs, but settlers fear it will set a precedent for the removal of other settlements.

The vote took hours as legislators voted on nearly 200 proposed amendments, soundly defeating one requiring a national referendum on the plan. Sharon has rejected a national vote as a delaying tactic that could put the withdrawal off for at least a year.