Prime Minister Sharon, apparently resigned to the fact that he will not receive Cabinet approval for his staged unilateral withdrawal from all of Gush Katif and northern Shomron, is willing to suffice - for now - with the evacuation and demolition of "only" 3-4 Jewish towns. However, his proposal will also stipulate that the Cabinet "notes" the existence of the remainder of the plan, involving the future unilateral dismantling of the 22 other communities.
The communities slated for destruction in the first phase are Netzarim, Morag, Rafiach Yam and possibly Kfar Darom.
The revised version of the plan, which Sharon distributed to ministers today, reportedly states, "In order to implement the program, a discussion and vote will take place not earlier than 6-9 months from now." A committee will be convened during this period to prepare the legislative and other aspects of the retreat and the expulsion of the residents.
Other "improvements" in the plan, according to various reports, are that the Jewish homes and synagogues to be abandoned will not be left for the Arabs to populate, but will rather be dismantled. This neutralizes the anti-withdrawal forces' arguments regarding the "national disgrace" of giving over the properties to the terrorists who shot and killed the owners. Similarly, it will not be able to be claimed that the synagogues will be desecrated or turned into mosques.
Sharon met with Finance Minister Netanyahu today, and reportedly convinced him to support the reduced plan. If this report is accurate, Ministers Shalom, Livnat and Naveh are also likely to vote in favor.
Likud party activists erected a protest tent outside the Prime Minister's office this morning, demanding that he adhere to the party membership's will as manifest in the recent referendum. A large sign at the site reads, "Likud Ministers: If you disengage, we will not forget and not forgive." One of the protestors, Likud Central Committee member Uziel Bariach of Ashdod, told Arutz-7 today that on Sunday, as the Cabinet meets to discuss and vote on the topic, "hundreds of Committee Central members will protest here."
The National Religious Party is leaning towards quitting the government if an expulsion plan is accepted. Its spiritual leaders, former Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu, sent a letter to the party's MKs before the holiday, advising them to resign from the coalition immediately upon the acceptance of a Cabinet decision to expel Jews from their homes in the Land of Israel.
The National Union has made it clear that it will quit the government the moment it is decided to unilaterally remove even one Jewish town. Party leader Minister Avigdor Lieberman has been promoting a program under which Jewish and Arab locations will be "traded," involving the transfer of most of the Israeli-Arab population and the removal of several Jewish towns in Yesha - including his own hometown of Nokdim in eastern Gush Etzion. Lieberman told Arutz-7 today that he has commissioned surveys showing that 2/3 of the public support his plan.
The communities slated for destruction in the first phase are Netzarim, Morag, Rafiach Yam and possibly Kfar Darom.
The revised version of the plan, which Sharon distributed to ministers today, reportedly states, "In order to implement the program, a discussion and vote will take place not earlier than 6-9 months from now." A committee will be convened during this period to prepare the legislative and other aspects of the retreat and the expulsion of the residents.
Other "improvements" in the plan, according to various reports, are that the Jewish homes and synagogues to be abandoned will not be left for the Arabs to populate, but will rather be dismantled. This neutralizes the anti-withdrawal forces' arguments regarding the "national disgrace" of giving over the properties to the terrorists who shot and killed the owners. Similarly, it will not be able to be claimed that the synagogues will be desecrated or turned into mosques.
Sharon met with Finance Minister Netanyahu today, and reportedly convinced him to support the reduced plan. If this report is accurate, Ministers Shalom, Livnat and Naveh are also likely to vote in favor.
Likud party activists erected a protest tent outside the Prime Minister's office this morning, demanding that he adhere to the party membership's will as manifest in the recent referendum. A large sign at the site reads, "Likud Ministers: If you disengage, we will not forget and not forgive." One of the protestors, Likud Central Committee member Uziel Bariach of Ashdod, told Arutz-7 today that on Sunday, as the Cabinet meets to discuss and vote on the topic, "hundreds of Committee Central members will protest here."
The National Religious Party is leaning towards quitting the government if an expulsion plan is accepted. Its spiritual leaders, former Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu, sent a letter to the party's MKs before the holiday, advising them to resign from the coalition immediately upon the acceptance of a Cabinet decision to expel Jews from their homes in the Land of Israel.
The National Union has made it clear that it will quit the government the moment it is decided to unilaterally remove even one Jewish town. Party leader Minister Avigdor Lieberman has been promoting a program under which Jewish and Arab locations will be "traded," involving the transfer of most of the Israeli-Arab population and the removal of several Jewish towns in Yesha - including his own hometown of Nokdim in eastern Gush Etzion. Lieberman told Arutz-7 today that he has commissioned surveys showing that 2/3 of the public support his plan.