Gaza withdrawal plan clears last hurdle

A key Israeli opposition leader said today that his party would vote in favour of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s budget, removing the last major legislative hurdle to Sharon’s plan to pull out of the Gaza Strip this summer.

If the budget does not pass by March 31, parliament will be disbanded and new elections will have to be held within three months, delaying and possibly derailing the planned pullout.

Sharon has had difficulty rallying a majority for his budget as rebels within his own hawkish Likud Party, who are opposed to the Gaza pull-out, joined with opposition lawmakers opposed to the budget itself.

But late tonight, Sharon met with Joseph Lapid, leader of the opposition Shinui Party, and brokered an agreement for Shinui to back the budget, Lapid said.