Sharon's challenge.(EDITORIALS)

0 Comments | Washington Times, The, May, 2004

Byline: THE WASHINGTON TIMES In the wake of the overwhelming rejection of his Gaza-West Bank disengagement proposal by Likud voters, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is not giving up. The Israeli leader vows to forge ahead with a modified version of his plan to unilaterally withdraw from some of the settlements he had proposed to leave in the referendum.

As Mr. Sharon moves forward with this politically courageous step, he will deserve and most likely receive the strong support of President Bush. The two leaders are likely to discuss the matter when Mr. Sharon travels to Washington several weeks from now. We remain convinced that the strategic rationale behind Mr. Sharon's approach is sound. There are just 7,300 Israeli settlers living in Gaza today, where they...