BBC (Monday): Knesset rejects Gaza referendum

[Jack Rabbit]

From the BBC Online
Dated Monday March 28 14:25 GMT (6:25 am PST)

Knesset rejects Gaza referendum

Parliament in Israel has rejected a bill to delay the country's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.

Rebels from the ruling Likud party wanted to force a referendum on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan.

Parliament has already backed the July pullout and legislators confirmed the move in Monday's 72-39 vote.

Mr Sharon had described the rebel attempt as a delaying tactic and is also expected to win a key budget.

This is due to be held on Tuesday.

Read more.

[Ken Burch]

1. Good. Now they just need to get the fuck out of Gaza AND the West Bank

And let the Palestinians have their state already.

Other thing is, since the polls in Israel have always shown clear majority support for the Gaza pullout, why do the pullout opponenents think a referendum would go their way?

[Yosie]

2. The Israeli "Haredi" are like the US "Rapture Repugs"

in many ways.

[DemFromMem]

3. They don't

The referendum plan was just a ploy to buy time in the hopes that the government would fall during the wait. The far right was pinning its hopes on the referendum as well as Sharon being unable to get his budget through the Knesset (which would have also led to a new election).

The deal is now sealed. Sharon was able to secure enough support from the left wing parties to thwart his own Likud members as well as members of the settler movement.

If Abbas can continue to deliver on his end - namely, transforming Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the other militant groups into political, non-violent groups - we may see some real change.