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US President George W Bush said overnight Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip was "a courageous and painful step" that may help revive the so-called roadmap to Middle East peace. "Both Israelis and Palestinians have elected governments committed to peace and progress, and the way forward is clear: We're working for a return to the road map," he said in a speech to about 15,000 veterans. "Palestinian President (Mahmoud) Abbas has rejected violence and taken steps toward democratic reform. This past week, Prime Minister Sharon and the Israeli people took a courageous and painful step by beginning to remove settlements...

In announcing last week a sweeping crackdown in Britain on the "evil ideology" of coming to be known as Islamofascism, Prime Minister Tony Blair declared that "the rules of the game have changed." So, it would appear has he. In fact, Mr. Blair has become an exemplar of the old adage that a "conservative is a liberal who has been mugged." The two bombing attacks on London's mass-transit systems, perpetrated mostly by home-grown Islamist suicide bombers (actual or would-be), not only mugged Britain's recently reelected leader, but his country, as well.

The Defense Ministry acknowledges that one of the possibilities under consideration for the synagogues and yeshivot in Gush Katif is to blow them up. Army officials say this is the likely choice. The decision to destroy all the houses that are scheduled to be evacuated in Gush Katif and northern Shomron appears to be final. Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Israel and reached an "agreement in principle" that the Israelis would destroy the houses and then pay the PA to deal with the rubble. The PA, however, has apparently reneged on its part of the deal,...

Sep. 8, 2004 23:32 | Updated Sep. 9, 2004 8:50 PM not considering national referendum By GIL HOFFMAN Prime Minister Ariel Sharon meets with The Jerusalem Post Tuesday, September 7, 2004. Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has no plans to take his unilateral disengagement plan to a referendum of the general population, Sharon's spokesmen said on Wednesday, reiterating comments Sharon made to The Jerusalem Post the day before. Sharon's office refuted a Channel 2 report from journalist Amnon Abramowitz that the prime minister's associates told Social Affairs Minister Zevulun Orlev that Sharon would agree to a referendum if...

Sep. 9, 2004 16:53 | Updated Sep. 9, 2004 20:11 Petition calls Gaza withdrawal 'crime against humanity' By YAAKOV KATZ Dozens of prominent right-wing hardliners published a petition Thursday calling Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza Strip disengagement plan a "crime against humanity" and urged security forces to refuse settlement evacuation orders. "Police officers and IDF soldiers should listen to their personal conscience and the voice of the national conscience," and should refuse to participate in the removal of settlements according to the withdrawal plan. The petition, published in the Religious-Zionist BeSheva newspaper, was signed by Professor Ben Zion Netanyahu, father...

Likud vote on disengagement plan to be bindingParty's central committee approves PM's proposal to hold survey. 200,000 Likud members eligible to vote. Yifat Zohar and Menachem Rahat "All Likud representatives, me included, will be bound by the results of the survey among all Likud Members", said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the Likud convention this evening (Tuesday). Sharon has committed himself to holding a survey on his disengagement plan among the 200,000 Likud party members. "The Prime Minister holds the ultimate responsibility, but critical decisions of this nature should be brought to a democratic vote", said Sharon. He added: "That...