Gaza plan marches forward

The prime minister held out the possibility of peace talks with a moderate Palestinian leadership.
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon marched forward with his Gaza withdrawal plan today, with parliament set to vote on providing compensation for the 8,800 settlers to be uprooted under the plan.
Sharon was expected to win the vote, which would give him more momentum as he continues with the contentious plan.
Won some battles
Sharon has already won a series of battles, including a parliamentary vote last week approving the withdrawal in principle. Today's vote was the first time parliament has debated the specifics of the plan.
The withdrawal has split the nation and cost Sharon his majority in parliament. Jewish settlers, a traditional constituency of Sharon's, are furious with their former patron.
Rabbis have issued rulings charging that he is violating Jewish law, and officials have warned of the threat of violence, civil war and assassinations.
Stepping up their opposition, the settlers' council ran a full-page ad today in the Maariv daily criticizing the bill. "Warning: Dictatorship," it said, adding the slogan. "Sharon is tearing apart the nation."
Gaza withdrawal
Sharon's plan calls for a full withdrawal from Gaza, where 8,200 Jewish settlers live amid 1.3 million Palestinians, and a pullout from four West Bank settlements.
He says the moves will improve the country's security and help it hold on to large chunks of West Bank settlements.
Sharon has refused to coordinate the pullout with the Palestinians, saying Yasser Arafat's administration is tainted by terrorism.
Arafat was evacuated to a French hospital last week for an as-yet unidentified ailment, raising speculation that he may not return to power.
Sharon has said he will continue with his plan regardless of Arafat's condition, but held out the possibility of resuming peace talks if a moderate Palestinian leadership emerges.
The Palestinians, who have criticized Sharon's plan as an elaborate Israeli land grab, say that Arafat remains in control.
Today's parliamentary vote is the first of three readings of the compensation bill, which would give as much as $500,000 to veteran settler families.
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