JERUSALEM, May 2: Israeli minister Nathan Sharansky, one of US President George Bush’s intellectual guiding lights, resigned on Monday in protest at plans to pull Jewish settlers out of the Gaza Strip. Mr Sharansky, who became the sixth minister to either quit or be sacked in less than a year over opposition to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s disengagement plan, warned it would strengthen Palestinian militancy and divide Israeli society.

“In my view, the disengagement plan is a tragic mistake that will exacerbate the conflict with the Palestinians, increase terrorism and dim the prospects of forging a genuine peace,” he said in a resignation letter to Sharon.

“I am even more concerned about how the government’s approach to disengagement is dividing Israeli society,” said the minister without portfolio who had responsibility for diaspora affairs.

Accepting Mr Sharansky’s resignation, Mr Sharon paid tribute to the former minister for his “exceptional work”. Mr Sharon has consistently overridden the objections of former right-wing allies such as Mr Sharansky over the Gaza pullout, which he believes will ease pressure on Israel to carry out a more comprehensive pullout from the West Bank.

On Tuesday, Mr Sharon and several of his ministers are to decide on whether or not to destroy the Gaza settlers’ homes when Israel pulls out of the territory, Israeli public radio reported.

Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who is the Labour leader, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are among those taking part. The government sought to strengthen its hold on the West Bank by approving the establishment of the first university within a Jewish settlement.

All 8,000 settlers in Gaza are due to be uprooted from their homes in either July or August along with several hundred residents of four small Jewish enclaves in West Bank.

Disengagement has already won parliamentary approval and Sharon has reshaped his cabinet to marginalise opponents such as Sharansky. —AFP