The sackings should allow Sharon to secure approval for his Gaza pullout plan

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, June 4 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Adamant on seeing what he sees as "unilateral disengagement plan" from the Palestinians go through after a series of embarrassing rejections, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sacked Friday, June 4, two ministers of the far-right National Union opposed to his Gaza pullout plan.

Sharon informed Transport Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Tourism Minister Benny Eilon of their dismissal by letter after they ignored summons to his office, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The sackings, which come into effect within 48 hours, should allow Sharon to secure approval for his Gaza pullout plan at his cabinet's next meeting Sunday.

But they could also unleash a major political crisis as the hard line National Religious Party - mouthpiece of the Jewish settler movement - has also threatened to leave Sharon 's coalition government.

The hawkish Premier faces strong opposition to the pullout plan from within his own right-wing Likud party, despite the support of key ally the United States .

Party members massively rejected a first version of the plan in a ballot last month and Sharon 's subsequent watering down of the proposals has so far failed to secure a cabinet majority.

Just 11 ministers have so far endorsed the new plan, under which Gaza 's 21 Jewish settlements would be evacuated in phases, while 12 ministers have opposed it.

With Lieberman and Eilon fired, Sharon has tilted the balance to his advantage.

The dismissal of the two ministers followed abortive negotiations Thursday with Likud ministers opposed to the plan, notably Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalon.

U.S. Pressures

In a separately development, Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported Friday that the Jewish state and the United States began a series of meetings this week revolving around the fulfillment of promises made by Sharon to the Bush administration.

"The commitments include freezing construction in the settlements, evacuating unauthorized outposts and easing the freedom of movement of Palestinians in the (occupied) territories."

Diplomatic sources told the paper that U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer - during a meeting with Baruch Spiegel, who was appointed by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz to handle talks with the U.S. administration - asked that Israel delay completion of the separation wall surrounding occupied Jerusalem so as not to aggravate conditions for the Palestinians in the metropolitan area, particularly in the Al-Ram neighborhood.

The Israeli commitments were given to the Bush administration in return for a letter of guarantees by Bush, dubbed by Arabs as a new Balfour promise and most of the international community slammed it as it parted with dozens of resolutions related to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

Bush promised Sharon that no U.S. administration would pressure Israel to withdraw from the West Bank and that the Palestinian refugees would not return to their original homes inside what is now known as Israel .

Kurtzer also raised the Israeli promise to leave sufficient crossing points in the controversial separation wall to allow normal communication for Palestinians with families on both sides of the wall, particularly in areas where enclaves of Palestinian villages are scheduled to be created, according to Ha'aretz.