Israel's evacuation of Jewish settlers from the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank is scheduled to begin next Monday as planned, despite yesterday's dramatic protest resignation by the hardline finance minister Benjamin Netanyahu, writes Nuala Haughey in Jerusalem.
Mr Netanyahu, who is prime minister Ariel Sharon's chief political rival within the ruling Likud Party, resigned ahead of a final cabinet vote on the pullout plan, claiming that the unilateral move would only aggravate Palestinian terrorism.
However, the cabinet's vote passed by a significant majority, paving the way for all 21 settlements in Gaza and four in the northern West Bank to be dismantled, starting on August 15th.
The pullout from land the Palestinians want for a future state affects 9,000 settlers, fewer than 4 per cent of the 240,000 who live alongside 3.8 million stateless Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which Israel has occupied for 38 years.
The disengagement plan was initially approved by the cabinet last February, but yesterday's vote on the specific evacuation of three of Gaza's most isolated settlements was due to a prior decision requiring formal cabinet ratification of the plan in phases.
Mr Netanyahu (55), a hawkish former prime minister, has taken differing positions on the Gaza withdrawal plan, earlier voting in favour of it in the Cabinet but also trying to torpedo it in parliamentary manoeuvres.
Mr Netanyahu is widely expected to challenge Mr Sharon's leadership ahead of the next election and could benefit from the support of right-wing opponents of the Gaza pullout. At a press conference yesterday, Mr Netanyahu said the evacuation was endangering Israel by creating "a base for Islamic terror" in Gaza, and that security warnings were being ignored. "I cannot stop this [ the pullout], but I can be at peace with myself," he said.
As finance minister for the past 2½ years, Mr Netanyahu had led efforts to streamline the Israeli economy, often adopting harsh measures in implementing his austerity plan. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange was rattled by yesterday's move, with Israeli stocks dropping 5 per cent within minutes of the announcement.
Mr Sharon last night chose vice prime minister Ehud Olmert as the new finance minister.
Mr Netanyahu's resignation was applauded by settler leaders who believe the pullout plan is a betrayal of their biblical birthright.