Prime Minister Sharon continued his political consultations today, in preparation for the formulation of a new diplomatic plan. He said yesterday that he would present his new plan, replacing the unilateral Gaza withdrawal that was defeated in last week's Likud referendum, in three weeks' time.



Sharon will meet today with Ministers Limor Livnat and Meir Sheetrit of the Likud, and with Avigdor Lieberman of the National Union. Lieberman plans to come with his own plan, one that includes the removal of both Jewish and Arab locations in order to create a separation of the populations.



Sharon's meeting with Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu yesterday was somewhat of an anti-climax. Although the Prime Minister expressed his disappointment with the Cabinet ministers - such as Netanyahu - who did not actively support the disengagement plan, this issue did not arise at all yesterday. Netanyahu said during yesterday's Cabinet meeting that he would be happy to take part in formulating an agreed-upon Likud-sponsored diplomatic plan. He further said that he is agreeable to removing Jewish communities in the framework of an agreement, but not unilaterally. Netanyahu reiterated, when talking with Minister Uzi Landau afterwards, that the Likud referendum obligates everyone in the Likud.