Sharon: Israel could give up more W.Bank settlements

By Matt Spetalnick

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Prime Minister Ariel Sharon raised
the prospect on Friday that Israel could eventually uproot more
settlements on occupied land after it evacuates its enclaves in
Gaza and a pocket of the West Bank in coming weeks.

Sharon, in an interview with the newspaper Yedioth
Ahronoth, reiterated that his “disengagement plan” was meant to
strengthen Israel’s hold on West Bank settlement blocs, which
it intends to keep under any future peace deal with
Palestinians.

However, asked about the fate of some of the more isolated
West Bank settlements, Sharon said: “Not everything will
remain. That issue will be raised during the final stage of
negotiations with the Palestinians.”

With five days to go before the start of Israel’s eviction
of Gaza settlers, Sharon’s comments hinted at a softening of
his stance against further withdrawals.

In the face of fierce rightist opposition to his pullout
plan, Sharon has recently insisted he has no intention of
giving up any more settlements beyond the 21 in Gaza and four
of 120 in the West Bank scheduled for evacuation.

But a Sharon confidant said: “He has never ruled out that
Israel would eventually have to give up some things — but in
the distant future when there is full peace and security.”

The United States sees the Gaza withdrawal as a possible
springboard for renewed peace negotiations.

Sharon has made it clear, however, that he foresees no
final status talks soon, saying militant groups must first be
dismantled. Palestinians fear the pullout is a ruse to keep
much of the West Bank and deny them a viable state.

Some political analysts say Sharon is setting a precedent
by giving up settlements on land Palestinians want for a state,
and that it could bring international pressure for more
pullbacks.

“NO REGRETS”

Sharon, once the settlers’ champion and now reviled by them
as a traitor, also said he had “no regrets” about his pullout
plan despite deep divisions in the Jewish state.

A day earlier, 150,000 rightists held a mass rally in Tel
Aviv, the largest demonstration by Israelis seeking to block
the withdrawal due to begin on Wednesday.

Months of protests, road blockades and acts of sabotage
have failed to keep Sharon from overcoming political and legal
hurdles en route to implementing what he has billed as
“disengagement” from conflict with Palestinians.

“Even if I had known ahead of time the extent of
resistance, I would have done it anyway,” Sharon said.

Polls show most Israelis favor quitting Gaza, where 8,500
Jews live isolated from 1.4 million Palestinians. However,
opponents say a withdrawal rewards a Palestinian uprising and
betrays Jewish claims of a biblical birthright to the land.

The YESHA settlers council said tens of thousands of its
supporters would break into small groups and try to infiltrate
Gaza’s main settlement bloc to obstruct security forces.

Settler groups promise peaceful resistance but officials
fear a hard core of ultranationalists could turn violent. They
are also concerned some soldiers could refuse orders.

Israeli police planned to go on high alert from Sunday,
beefing up roadblocks outside Gaza to head off protesters.

As Palestinians gathered on Gaza’s beaches for a
flag-waving celebration of Israel’s impending pullout,
Palestinian security forces prepared to deploy near settlements
on Sunday in a protective cordon against possible militant
attacks.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is facing a challenge
from Hamas, an Islamic group sworn to Israel’s destruction. It
vowed on Friday not to disarm so it could carry on its fight
against the Jewish state.

Israel has vowed to hit back if militants break a
six-month-old ceasefire during or after the evacuation.

The World Court says Israel’s settlements on land captured
in the 1967 Middle East war are illegal. Israel disputes this.