Majority backs PM's unilateral disengagement plan

A clear majority of Israelis favors Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's "unilateral disengagement" outline for separation from the Palestinians, but doubts that Sharon truly intends to carry it out, according to an opinion poll released Thursday.

Sharon, announcing the plan in a speech a week ago, said he would begin implementing it in a few months if it became evident the Palestinian Authority was not undertaking its commitments in the road map and that some elements in the plan - which he dubbed a security, not a political, measure - could begin even sooner.

He said the plan includes redeployment of the IDF along a "security line" in the territories, and evacuation of isolated settlements that Sharon said would in any case not be included in Israeli territory in any future settlement. At the same time, Israel will strengthen its control over "those parts of the Land of Israel that will be an inseparable part of the state of Israel in any future settlement."

The poll, commissioned by Israel Radio, showed that 59 percent of respondents said they supported the plan. Among voters of Sharon's Likud, however, backers barely outnumbered opponents, 41 to 38 percent.

more:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/375987.html

Sharon is pushing a bold compromise plan far to the left of that wanted by the base of his own party. That's an extremist?