Sharansky quits Israel govt over Gaza pullout
Reuters
Date: 05-02-05
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Natan Sharansky, a right-wing Israeli politician whose writings on democracy impressed U.S. President George W. Bush, resigned his cabinet post on Monday in protest against Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
"In my view, the disengagement plan is a tragic mistake that will exacerbate the conflict with the Palestinians, increase terrorism, and dim the prospects of forging a genuine peace," Sharansky said in an open letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
"I no longer feel that I can faithfully serve in a government whose central policy -- indeed, sole raison d'etre -- has become one to which I am so adamantly opposed," he added.
A noted dissident in his native Soviet Union before emigrating to Israel, Sharansky joined the Sharon government under a coalition deal between his pro-immigrant faction Yisrael Ba'aliya and the ruling Likud Party, serving as minister for Diaspora Affairs.
But he came out firmly against Sharon's plan to "disengage" from conflict with the Palestinians by quitting occupied Gaza and a corner of the West Bank in July or August, calling it a recipe for renewed violence.
It was the latest of several ideological walkouts from the government, which has survived with a series of coalition pacts, and was likely to have little or no effect on Sharon's grip on power.
A Sharon aide voiced no surprise at Sharansky's decision. "He always made it clear that, on principle, he would not stay in the government if it was set on implementing the disengagement plan," the aide said.
Sharansky's recent book, "The Case for Democracy", won praise from Bush for its argument that democratisation, especially in the Arab world, is the real key to peace.
Sharansky says he would give Palestinians "all the rights in the world" once they institute full democracy, which he believes would ensure a future Palestinian state coexisting with Israel.
Such sentiments ring false for many Palestinians given Sharansky's support for Jewish settlements on occupied land and the government's declarations that Israel will keep much of the West Bank under any future peace deal.
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