The opposition Likud party has roundly rejected a proposal by one of its more moderate figures for Israel to withdraw unilaterally from the Gaza Strip and grant Palestinian autonomy there.
The issue came up Monday at a convention of Likud’s 3,500-member Central Committee.
Knesset member Ronni Milo, a former police minister, repeated his support for the “Gaza first” concept, in which Israel would not wait to negotiate a comprehensive autonomy plan with Palestinians, but would unilaterally pull out of Gaza.
But the convention’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee rejected the proposal Monday amid strong criticism.
Former Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, one of the more vociferous opponents to the plan, asked Milo rhetorically if he knew there were a million “anti-Israel Palestinians” in Gaza and if he was prepared to allow them to form the foundations for an independent Palestinian state sworn to replace Israel.
The Likud convention, which opened Sunday evening in the Golan Heights, in a gesture of support to settlers there, moved to Tel Aviv on Monday for its first day of working sessions.
The Central Committee also held what proved to be a controversial debate over new bylaws proposed by the party’s new chairman, Benjamin Netanyahu. The proposed change would grant the chairman added control over the party apparatus.
Virtually all the veteran party leaders and functionaries are said to be opposed to Netanyahu’s proposed new constitution for the party.
Sharon accused his younger rival Netanyahu of seeking to set himself up as a dictator.
And former Foreign Minister David Levy, who came in second to Netanyahu in the Likud primaries, continued to boycott the convention.
Former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir also spoke to the delegates, receiving a standing ovation as he delivered what was described as his farewell address to the party.
Shamir said he had no regrets about retiring from active party leadership and political life.
“The time has come to hand (it) over to the younger generation,” he said to the sound of applause.
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