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Israel’s Top Defense Personnel Back Gaza Withdrawal

For the first time all of Israel’s top defense officials say withdrawing from the Gaza Strip will aid Israel’s security.

The statements were made during Sunday’s opening cabinet debate on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Gaza-withdrawal plan.

After heated exchanges between Sharon and his Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, it was agreed that Justice Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid would act as a mediator in a bid to find a compromise.

Netanyahu is the leading opponent of the proposal to end Israel’s presence in the Gaza Strip and the removal of four villages from Samaria – the northern end of the West Bank.

Sharon tried to gain the support of a majority of ministers prior to the debate.

However, with most objecting to his plan, Sharon has threatened to fire ministers in order to win the vote, which right now is scheduled for next Sunday.

During the debate Sharon managed to obtain the approval for his program from the heads of military intelligence and the country’s internal security service, the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz.

Netanyahu is arguing Sharon’s own Likud party already rejected the proposal to withdraw from Gaza in a referendum held on May 2.

On Monday Sharon’s bureau chief Dov Weisglass is traveling to Washington to update the Bush Administration on the latest developments in Israel.

Weisglass is expected to meet National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday and Washington’s shuttle negotiation team William Burns of the State Department and the NSA’s Steve Hadley and Elliott Abrams.

U.S. President George W. Bush gave his full public backing to Sharon’s plan ahead of the referendum.

In Jerusalem Sharon faces three votes of no confidence. The votes in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, are expected to be closer than on previous occasions but The Media Line analysts say the premier is likely to survive.