First it was reported that he would, then it was reported that he would not, and now the situation is that he might. The reference is to Prime Minister Sharon's post-summit plans regarding dismantling "unapproved" outposts in Judea and Samaria - a step that is widely believed to be a lead-in to the dismantling of bona-fide Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria . Sharon said this afternoon that there is a chance that following the upcoming Aqaba summit, he will give the orders to dismantle some or all of the outposts.
That might lead, in turn, to the dismantling of something else - namely, the government. MK Nissan Slomiansky (National Religious Party) told Arutz-7 today that if "one or two" outposts are dismantled, he would not recommend that his party quit the government, "but if he plans a wholesale campaign to uproot 90 or 100 outposts, then we cannot remain inside." See separate article for more on the NRP's plans.
Sharon has rejected an American request to declare, during the upcoming Aqaba summit, the "end of the occupation." He has in fact been careful not to repeat his use of that word in public, following the wide criticism to which he was subject after he said it earlier last week. He told his Likud party colleagues in the Knesset that Israel's presence in its historic homeland areas of Judea, Samaria and Gaza was nothing less than "occupation" - using, for the first time, the word that the left-wing had long used to describe the situation.
Jordan's King Abdullah will also take part in the Bush-Sharon-Abbas summit in Aqaba on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will host Bush, Abdullah and Abu Mazen for an Arab-American summit in Sharm a-Sheikh.