AL QUDS, May 9: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, announced on Sunday he had cancelled a visit to Washington next week. Political sources said Sharon told his cabinet he would present a new withdrawal proposal for its approval in three weeks.

"The prime minister has decided not to go to Washington. He will be having consultations here in Israel regarding the disengagement plan," his office said, referring to the initiative voted down by the right-wing Likud a week ago.

Sharon had been scheduled to address a policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israeli advocacy group on May 17, and aides said last week a meeting with US President George W. Bush was likely.

But with the fate of the Gaza plan still unclear and an Arab world seething over what it sees as Bush's pro-Israeli slant and US abuse of prisoners in Iraq, the timing for talks with Sharon may not have been right.

Bush last met Sharon at the White House on April 14, voicing strong support for the prime minister's unilateral proposal to evacuate all Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four of the 120 in the West Bank.

The president enraged the Arab world by announcing at a news conference with Sharon that Israel could not be expected to vacate all its large West Bank settlements or re-admit Palestinian refugees under any final treaty.

Last week, in an effort to reassure Arab allies, he told Jordan's King Abdullah that Washington would do nothing to prejudice final-status talks between the Middle East foes and said he would expand dialogue with Palestinians.

CONFLICTING SIGNALS: Sharon has vowed to press ahead with "disengagement" from the Palestinians, sending conflicting signals as to how close he would stick to the original blueprint.