Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon easily won a crucial party vote to reinforce his shaky government to carry out his Gaza pullout plan, party officials announced late Thursday. Sharon’s proposal was to invite the dovish Labor Party and Orthodox Jewish to join his teetering government, ensuring a solid majority for his Gaza withdrawal plan in the face of internal opposition from his own Likud Party. Cabinet minister Israel Katz announced that the final count of the vote in the Likud Central Committee was 62 percent in favor of Sharon’s proposal and 38 percent against. A loss in the Likud Central Committee vote could have forced new elections and jeopardized the Gaza withdrawal — a centerpiece of efforts to restart peace talks with the Palestinians in the wake of Yasser Arafat’s death. The win clears the way to adding Labor, a partner solidly in favor of the Gaza pullout and resumption of peace negotiations. Full Story
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