(AFP/Yahoo) Israeli Prime Minister Sharon kept his plan to pull out of Gaza on track when he won approval from his own party to form a new national unity coalition government. The Likud party's central committee approved a proposal by Sharon to open negotiations with the main opposition Labor party and ultra-Orthodox parties about a new broad-based coalition by 1,410 votes to 856. The result on Thursday reverses a central committee decision in August when members voted against Labor's entry into the government. By quitting Gaza and four small Jewish enclaves in the northern West Bank next year, Sharon is hoping to alleviate pressure on Israel to undertake a more comprehensive withdrawal from other parts of the West Bank.
2004-12-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive