Since April, when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon unveiled his Gaza Strip disengagement plan to President George W. Bush, the United States has depicted it as a major step toward peace that can catalyze a revival of negotiations and lead to the emergence of a viable Palestinian state. “These are historic and courageous actions,” the president said of the Sharon plan to evacuate all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four more in the northern West Bank. Mr. Sharon, Mr. Bush said, is “beginning to implement a vision that allows for contiguous territories so that a Palestinian state can emerge.” Full Story