Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon took a step further with his disengagement plan Monday, saying he wants to evacuate all Gaza Strip settlements at one time instead of the previously claimed four stages.

Under the new timetable, the prime minister will seek the cabinet's approval to "evacuate a number of the 21 settlements set for evacuation on an hourly or daily basis."

The plan was presented by Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz together to a cabinet meeting and reflected a major shift in position, officials were quoted as saying.

Sharon's original plan says Israel would evacuate all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip in four stages by the end of September 2005. Sharon also plans to pull out from four small West Bank settlements.

However, a staged withdrawal could set the process for months of confrontations between Gaza settlers and police as settlers and their backers, many from Sharon's own Likud party, oppose the pullout, analysts said.

Proposal meets objections

The proposal met objection from Labor and Social Affairs Minister Zevulun Orlev (National Religious Party) and Education Minister Limor Livnat (Likud).

Livnat said she voted for the disengagement plan on June 6 based on the condition that the withdrawal would take place only after the government debated and voted before the implementation of each of the four phases.

She added the cabinet could not override earlier government decisions, saying the issue must be brought to the entire government for further debate if somebody wishes to do so.

In response, Sharon said he wasn't moved by Livnat's "false patriotism," and he could bring the first stage of withdrawal before the government on Sunday, the second stage on Monday, and so on.

Public Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi blamed Mofaz and Sharon for underhanded opportunism.

Moreover, Orlev called for a national referendum on the disengagement plan.

When Sharon asked whether Orlev was sure he wanted a referendum, Orlev responded it was the only way to prevent a "civil war".

When asked why the discussion was taking place in the cabinet but not the full government, Sharon said "there will be disengagement, in this government or in another government that I establish".

Despite internal disputes among cabinet members, the cabinet agreed that the proposal will not supersede the government's June 6 decision to adopt the disengagement plan with a government discussion and vote ahead of actual implementation.

Under the June 6 decision, the security cabinet is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the disengagement plan.

PM to present new timetable

Sharon also said at the cabinet meeting on Monday that he would present a detailed timetable for the pullout from Gaza to a conference of Likud lawmakers on Tuesday and will then seek cabinet and Knesset (parliament) approval of it.

Sharon suffered a setback in his Likud party on Aug. 18 as a non-binding party vote rejected his plan to invite the main opposition Labor party into a coalition government in a bid to accelerate the implementation of the plan.

The prime minister, however, has reiterated his determination several times that he will stick to his plan regardless of difficulties.

"Nothing can stop me (from carrying out the plan). Nobody can shackle my hands and legs," Sharon told the cabinet Monday.

Zevulun Orlev criticized the prime minister on the issue, saying proper governing conduct requires presenting political plans of such nature to the government, but not the PM's faction.

"I told Sharon: Your government comes first, before your party," Orlev said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2004)