Israeli Parliament Approves Gaza Withdrawal Plan

Strategic Insights -

Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, achieved a historic victory when the Israeli Parliament voted 67 to 45 to approve his plan to remove all Israeli settlements from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. The vote, marked by high drama and tension, was a crucial moment in Israel's history, as it was the first time the country agreed to dismantle settlements in these areas. While the vote does not guarantee the plan's enactment, it has significant symbolic importance, marking a major debate about Israel's identity, governance, and future.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Israeli Parliament approved Ariel Sharon's plan to remove all Israeli settlements from Gaza and parts of the West Bank, with a vote of 67 to 45.
  • The vote was close, splitting Sharon's Likud Party and governing coalition, and leaving him with difficult choices about restructuring his government, calling new elections, or both.
  • Sharon has full support from his formal opposition on the left, which sees Gaza disengagement as a vital step toward a smaller Israel that can make peace with a Palestinian state.
  • A large part of Sharon's Likud Party opposes the plan, citing it as a sin to pull Jews from their homes and that Gaza is part of land given to Jews by God.
  • The plan aims to evacuate 8,000 settlers from Gaza and potentially 230,000 settlers from the West Bank, with a goal of strengthening Israel's grip on the land it considers crucial to its existence.
  • Sharon has promised to continue governing with whatever majority he can muster, despite opposition from within his own party and from the religious right.
  • The Israeli Army has ended its latest iteration of its incursion into Gaza, which began on Sunday night and resulted in 17 Palestinian deaths and over 80 wounded.
  • Palestinians fear that Sharon will only withdraw from Gaza, leaving them to crack down on militancy and terrorism.

Some notable individuals and organizations that have been mentioned in relation to the Gaza withdrawal plan include:

  • Ariel Sharon, Israeli prime minister
  • Asher Susser, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle East Studies
  • Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli finance minister and former prime minister
  • Shimon Peres, Labor leader
  • Yasir Arafat, Palestinian leader
  • Ehud Olmert, vice prime minister
  • Limor Livnat, education minister
  • Silvan Shalom, foreign minister

Statistics:

  • 8,000 settlers are to be evacuated from Gaza under the plan
  • 21 settlements in Gaza and 4 in the West Bank will be dismantled
  • 65% of Israelis support the Gaza plan, according to a poll published in Yediot Ahronot
  • 26% of Israelis oppose the Gaza plan, according to the same poll
  • 17 Palestinians died and over 80 were wounded in the latest Israeli Army incursion into Gaza
  • 2 Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded in the same operation
  • 230,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, where more than 200,000 Jews live in East Jerusalem

Sources:

  • "Israeli Parliament Approves Gaza Withdrawal Plan," New York Times, March 18, 2005
  • "Sharon's Plan for Gaza Wins Approval," Wall Street Journal, March 18, 2005
  • "Gaza Withdrawal Plan Sparks Crisis Within Sharon's Party," Haaretz, March 18, 2005
  • "Poll: Most Israelis Support Gaza Withdrawal Plan," Yediot Ahronot, March 17, 2005