Gaza Strip referendum failed

[Michele 1]

Sharon loses vital vote on Gaza Referendum

Keep in mind that Bush and Sharon made an agreement that Israel would unilaterally (without a peace agreement) give the Gaza Strip back to the Palestinians. Sharon put the referendum to a single party (Likud) vote (his own party was the only one who could vote), and it failed some 60/40. Sharon indicated that he would continue to press forward on the agreement with Bush, irrespective of the vote (because it wasn't a total population vote, I suppose.).

In any event, an additional issue from the article:

"Israel went on high security alert Sunday ahead of the referendum, dividing Gaza into three sections and restricting Palestinian travel.

That did not prevent the attack on the Gaza family, however, which Sharon blamed on militants trying to scuttle his proposal.

"The terrible murder today is their way of rejecting and complicating the plan," Sharon told reporters.

Tali Hatuel, 34 - who was eight months pregnant - and her four daughters, ages two to 11, were driving into Israel when gunmen fired on their white Citroen station wagon near the Kissufim crossing.

The car spun off the road and the attackers charged it, shooting the five inside at close range, Israeli police said. The wagon was riddled with bullets, its windows blown away and carpet splattered with blood. A bumper sticker on the car read: "Uprooting the settlements - a victory for terror."

This is not "collateral damage"; it is the deliberate targeting of a woman and her children to create fear and to intimidate a group of people.

Geesh.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[falxori 0]

yeap, its pretty depressing.

on the other hand, 40% of Likud party members supporting it without anything in return (not as a part of an agreement) is not THAT bad.

it was a wrong political move but it won't stop the process.
Sharon won't let it, and Bush won't either.

O

"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero."